Premier League leaders Arsenal visited Leicester City on Saturday (Picture: Sky Sports)
Mikel Arteta has explained why he benched Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah for the Premier League clash against Leicester City and provided an update on Thomas Partey.
Nketiah has been a mainstay in the Arsenal team since the World Cup, with first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus still out with a knee injury.
The 23-year-old scored six goals in his first six appearances following the World Cup break but had gone five games without a goal ahead of Arsenal’s trip to the King Power Stadium.
Arteta made one change to the team that beat Aston Villa 4-2 last weekend, with Gabriel Martinelli coming in for Nketiah and January signing Leandro Trossard starting as a striker.
Explaining why Nketiah dropped to the bench, Arteta said: ‘Well we’ve got three games in a very short period. We need everyone fresh.
‘Eddie has been carrying a little thing in the last few games too and Leandro [Trossard] has been doing really well.’
Asked if he is concerned about Nketiah’s niggle, Arteta said: ‘It’s not serious and he’s been training but we want everybody fresh and at their best.’
Eddie Nketiah has been a mainstay in the Arsenal team since the World Cup (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal are two points ahead of defending champions Manchester City ahead of their clash with Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City.
Influential midfielder Thomas Partey missed Arsenal’s last two games with a muscular injury but returned to the club’s matchday squad against Leicester, starting the game from the bench.
‘He’s done very little in training to be fair but he’s been pushing to be involved,’ Arteta added on Partey’s return. ‘We’re really happy to have him.’
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, made two changes to the team that lost 3-0 to Manchester United last weekend, with Wilfred Ndidi and Dennis Praet coming in for Nampalys Mendyrod and the ill James Maddison.
MORE : Why Zinchenko captains Arsenal against Leicester instead of Odegaard
MORE : Wayne Rooney rates Manchester United’s chances of catching Arsenal
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Arsenal can’t afford to slip up.
