Arteta Backs Arsenal Stars Skipping International Duty

According to Ireporter Online, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has dismissed concerns over his players’ recent withdrawals from international duty, insisting that the club maintained “very good relationship and communication” with national teams throughout the latest international break.

During the March 2026 fixtures, 228 Premier League players were called up for World Cup qualifiers and friendlies, with 23 later withdrawing. Arsenal accounted for nearly half of those withdrawals, sparking speculation over injuries or club caution. Arteta, however, emphasized that every decision was medically justified and coordinated with the relevant federations, including England head coach Thomas Tuchel.

“We have a very good relationship and communication with most of the national teams; certainly with Thomas too,” Arteta said. “We have been extremely supportive all the time. When you have to communicate the state of every player, we are always honest, and a medical decision had to be made. That was clear what the conclusion was.”

The withdrawals began after Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Defender William Saliba pulled out of France duty with an ankle injury, while Gabriel Magalhães was sidelined due to a knee problem. They were joined by Eberechi Eze, Martin Ødegaard, Jurriën Timber, and Leandro Trossard, who had all missed the Wembley defeat due to injuries.

Following their arrival at national camps, five more players withdrew, including Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka with knocks, Noni Madueke with a knee injury against Uruguay, and Martín Zubimendi and Piero Hincapié.

Arteta stressed that his players remain committed to representing their countries. “When you are fit and available to play for the national team, you have to play. It makes us so proud that we had that many players in the national team. Players are desperate to play for their nation. We are fully supportive of that, and when we can do it, we do it.”

Attention now turns to Arsenal’s FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton on Saturday. Arteta confirmed Eze will miss the match, while Ødegaard and Timber may return, and Madueke remains a doubt. On the potential participation of the 11 withdrawn players, Arteta added, “You will see. I will let you do the speculation. You can judge afterwards. We are in a position right now where we need to make the strongest line-up we possibly can to win every competition. We are two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us.”