Midfield Arsenal duo Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny are reportedly considering their futures and could look to leave the Gunners in January. However, following the pair’s desire for more game time, manager Mikel Arteta now faces a selection dilemma following the recent injury to Granit Xhaka.
That’s according to a recent report from The Sun, who claims Maitland-Niles is continuing to seek more regular playing time after starting just one Premier League game so far this season.
Elsewhere, Elneny, whose contract expires next summer, is also way down in Arteta’s pecking order and although the Spanish tactician would like him to sign a new contract, now runs the risk of being forced into selling during the winter market.
However, the Gunners’ situation has been complicated by the recent injury to Xhaka, which is set to see the Switzerland international sidelined until at least February next year.
It is not yet known exactly what Arteta has in mind when it comes to finding a replacement midfield partnership, especially considering how injury-prone Thomas Partey has been since he arrived last summer.
However, The Sun suggest the most likely outcome would be to see the Gunners’ boss opt to use Maitland-Niles alongside new signing Albert Sambi Lokonga.