Arsenal boss claims 'very good relationships' with national team coaches after players dropped out of international squads

The Gunners had 10 players withdraw from their national teams during the recently completed international break, either through injury or as a precautionary measure. Additionally, Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard was held out of the Norway squad entirely despite nearing a return to the pitch.

It's a situation that raised eyebrows around the world as national teams continued their preparations ahead of the upcoming World Cup, which kicks off in less than 70 days in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

Premier League-leading Arsenal, who are also still in contention in the FA Cup and Champions League, had England trio Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Noni Madueke, along with Piero Hincapié (Ecuador), and Martin Zubimendi (Spain), all leave their respective national teams after joining camp. Meanwhile, Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil), William Saliba (France), Jurrien Timber (Netherlands), Leandro Trossard (Belgium), and Eberechi Eze (England) were originally named to their national teams but withdrew prior to the matches being played.

Of those players, only Eze and Hincapié are expected to miss an extended amount of time during a hectic run-in for the Gunners, but Arteta said the absences have not caused any friction between himself and his players' national team coaches.

"Yeah, we have very good relationships and communications with most of the national teams, certainly with [England boss] Thomas [Tuchel]," the Arsenal manager said. 

"We’ve been extremely supportive all the time, and when you have to communicate the state and the moment of every player, we are always very honest, and in the end, it’s a medical decision that has to be made, and that was clear what the conclusion was."

Arteta added that his club does not stand in the way of any player who wants to represent his country on the international stage, stating that Arsenal "are very supportive" of players' national team ambitions.

"I think when a player is fit and available to play, they have to play," he explained. "I think it makes us so proud that we have that many players in the national team, and the players are desperate to play in the national team.

"We know how important every time that they are together and the time that they spend in preparation means to them, so we are fully supportive of that, and when we can do it, we do it."

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