Mikel Arteta explains why he dropped Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Southampton clash

Mikel Arteta has stated that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will miss Arsenal’s game against Southampton, with the star due to sit on the bench as a result of a disciplinary breach.

The Arsenal captain was benched against Everton in the side’s midweek clash and came on as a substitute, only to miss a glorious late chance to earn a point.

Aubameyang should have been included in the starting line-up but the star reportedly missed training on Friday. Arteta has shed some light on these recent events, explaining that disciplinary action has been taken against the star

"Unfortunately, Aubameyang isn’t playing due to a disciplinary breach. I think we’ve been very consistent. There are some non-negotiables on the team that we have set ourselves and as a club and he’s not involved. This certainly isn’t an easy situation. We don’t want our club captain to be in that situation."

This is not the first time the Gabon international has been penalized by his manager for his actions. He notably missed the North London derby after coming to a team meeting late.

The Arsenal captain has been on a poor run of form for Arsenal recently, with his last goal coming in October. The Gabon star will be hoping to perform better and play a vital part in the team in the coming weeks.

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We must give our support: Arteta on struggling Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

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While the Arsenal star continues to struggle, Mikel Arteta has squashed rumors about his exit from the club during the January transfer window. According to Arteta, Aubameyang needs support instead, encouraging the star to find form again. He said:

"We have never discussed something like this. When players are in difficulty, we must give them our support. Obviously, when a player is not scoring, it’s affecting his confidence, it’s affecting the mood and probably the belief. But you have to rebel against this situation. Don’t accept it and feel sorry for yourself."

Arteta added:

"It’s all about patches, every player has patches and moments and it’s about trying to make the big moments. The good moments and the form when a player is scoring goals to try and maintain it and try to reduce to the time when they don’t."