December 17, (THEWILL) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is “not available for selection” against Leeds on Saturday, according to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. This follows Aubameyang’s loss of the Arsenal captaincy due to a disciplinary issue this week.
There have been reports that a late return from a trip abroad was the final straw that forced the club to take the captaincy away from the Gabonese forward.
The 32-year-old striker did not appear in either of the club’s last two games, against West Ham and Southampton. Arteta had stated that Aubameyang will be replaced as captain by a “leadership group” that is said to include old squad members Alexandre Lacazette and Granit Xhaka.
“For this game, he is not available for selection” Arteta replied when asked about Aubameyang’s likely inclusion against Leeds.
After escalating transmissions of COVID-19 instances, Arsenal’s game against Leeds is one of only five Premier League fixtures set to go ahead.
On Tuesday, the club released the following statement: “Following his latest disciplinary breach last week, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will no longer be our club captain.
“We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.