Mikel Arteta says he is not planning to rotate his squad before Arsenal‘s UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain next week.
A win for Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium tonight would confirm Liverpool as 2024/25 Premier League champions – but Arsenal manager Arteta is keen to delay the Reds’ title party for as long as possible.
While Arteta maintains he will be “sensible with decision-making”, he feels rhythm is more important than rest and when asked about the prospect of wholesale changes against Palace, he told the club’s official website: “We cannot think in those terms.
“I think when the players are fit and they are available and they want to play, they have to play.
“They are at their best when they are playing and they have consistency in their performances. Physically they are good, and emotionally they are good – their understanding and their rhythm and the way they make decisions is at their best. And that’s why we need the players.
“If they are not available, there’s no discussion. And if they are not in good condition to perform, we’re not going to play them. If they are, we are going to play them.”
On Liverpool getting ready to celebrate the title, Arteta added: “Our incentive is to win our game and do our best to continue with the round that we are in right now. The rest we cannot control.”
Saka to be assessed
Arsenal fans must wait to find out if Bukayo Saka will take part tonight after the winger was forced off during the club’s 4-0 Premier League win at Ipswich Town on Sunday.
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Arteta is happy this evening’s match is taking place three days earlier than originally scheduled due to Palace’s involvement in the FA Cup, where they meet Aston Villa in Saturday’s semi-final at Wembley.
Arsenal then host PSG in the Champions League semi-final first-leg on Tuesday 29 April, before the second-leg in Paris the following Wednesday, 7 May.
Arteta, who confirmed Riccardo Calafiori and Jorginho remain unavailable, added: “We have to wait and see how he [Saka] reacts after the session, but it’s nothing too serious.
“We have more days [before PSG]. The amount of options that we have is not that many, especially because of where some of the players are coming and the amount of minutes that they can play.
“But it’s good to have a little gap because we are really short in numbers.”
Arsenal next five fixtures
