Mikel Arteta has stated that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is absent from the Arsenal squad to face Southampton in the FA Cup this afternoon due to a ‘personal matter’.
Arteta has confirmed that the striker has travelled back to London after something personal came up within the ‘last few hours’.
Academy graduate Eddie Nketiah leads the line against the Saints, with Alexandre Lacazette on the bench for the Gunners.
With no further news as of yet, we’d like to see our best wishes to Pierre-Emerick and the entire Aubameyang family, we’re all hoping that nothing serious has happened.
Mikel on Auba’s absence: “He had a personal matter in the last few hours and we had to send him back.”
? #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/RMyX7xaxpV
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 23, 2021
Aubameyang’s withdrawal from the squad could be the reason why Arteta has named three goalkeepers in the matchday squad, in a reminder to some fans that they should perhaps be more considerate with their reaction to team news in the future.