Mikel Arteta has explained why Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was surprisingly omitted from the Arsenal squad for the Premier League game against Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
The Spaniard named a squad of 18 for the 3pm kick-off today with the Gabon striker once again a notable absentee from the starting line-up.
French forward Alexandre Lacazette, Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli and England U21 international Eddie Nketiah were all selected.
Arteta said: "Unfortunately due to a disciplinary breach.
"I think we've been very consistent. There are certain non-negotiables on the team that we have set ourselves and as a club and he's not involved today."
Asked if Aubameyang faces further punishment as a consequence for his actions, Arteta added: "It starts today."
On if he is disappointed with his behaviour, he replied: "Well certainly it is not an easy situation, a situation that we want to have our club captain in that situation."
WATCH: Arteta explains why Aubameyang isn't in the Arsenal squad today
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Former Gunners defender Martin Keown reckons trouble is brewing behind the scenes because Arteta doesn't want to put his faith in the 32-year-old anymore.
"He’s fallen out of love with the player, he doesn’t quite believe in him," Keown told talkSPORT (h/t Metro).
"Okay, you’ve given him a new contract six months into his tenure as manager when they won the FA Cup and that’s all well and good, but since then he hasn’t performed in the same way.
"The player is at a loss of form and in those moments, if I look at it from the player’s point of view, you want that support from the manager and want someone to stand by you.
"You certainly expect, if you’ve been dropped, to come on in a game of high importance."
However, Keown believes Arteta should still give Aubameyang another chance to prove himself before things start to get out of hand.
"I do believe that Aubameyang should have started [vs Everton] and I’m trying to find the logic from the manager," he continued.
"Personally, I would play him. It becomes a problem when you lose games.
"They’ve lost the last three away games, and if they were winning those games you’d have to say this is brilliant management but when they don’t win those games, that’s when the question marks come.
"It looks then as though the manager doesn’t quite know the XI he can really trust and rely upon."
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