Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shed light on his decision to leave out four key players, including Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey, from the starting lineup in Saturday’s Premier League clash against Everton at Goodison Park.
The Spanish coach also left out captain Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli from the starting eleven. While Ødegaard, Saka, and Martinelli were later brought on during the match, Partey remained on the bench throughout the game.
Explaining the reasoning behind the changes, Arteta revealed it was a precautionary move, influenced by recent injury concerns in the squad — particularly Gabriel Magalhães’ injury during the Fulham game.
“There were four players that couldn’t start the game after what happened with Fulham, and obviously the injury of Gabi, so that forces you as well to make some changes,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference.
He also emphasized the importance of squad rotation and giving other players opportunities: “Players deserve to play minutes, so I’m very happy with that. Everybody has to be important, has to feel important. They have so many games coming up right now, and we have to rely on all of them.”
Looking ahead, Thomas Partey is expected to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday night when Arsenal take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
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