When will Arsenal’s Aubameyang return to play? Mikel Arteta deflected after the win over West Ham

Mikel Arteta has declined to say whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will qualify for Arsenal’s next Premier League game as the striker continues to be exiled.

Aubameyang was left out of the selection on 15 December when Arsenal beat West Ham 2-0 at Emirates Stadium to jump into the top four.

This was the second consecutive game Aubameyang was absent in a week that saw him stripped of the captaincy for a disciplinary breach.

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After the win over The Hammers, Arteta was asked by BT Sport if Aubameyang would feature in Arsenal’s next game.

The head coach replied: “He is not qualified for this match [vs. West Ham] and that’s it. This game is gone. We will discuss it in the near future. “

Arteta also praised his side’s response in the midst of a tumultuous week, saying: “They were completely focused. They wanted to show how strong a team we are. Performance, attitude and commitment. The result they showed today is exactly what we are as a club..

“I expect that from every player – stick to our values. We’ll talk about [Aubameyang] Another day. Today I want to talk about the game. “

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What did Aubameyang do?

Arteta initially dropped the striker for Arsenal’s game against Southampton at the weekend after he missed training the day before.

After a 3-0 win over the Saints, Arsenal released a statement saying that Aubameyang has been stripped of the club’s captaincy and will also not be considered for selection against The Hammers.

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In the statement, Arteta said: “The decision we have made as a club has been very clear. It is because we believe he has not committed at the level that all of us have. I expect and agree.

“That commitment and passion must have. Unfortunately, it didn’t.”

Next, Arsenal will face Leeds in their 18th game of the season on Saturday, December 18 as they look to cement their place in the top four.