Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should expect a phone call from Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, as he sits out the third game in a row following the disciplinary misconduct that led to him losing his captaincy.
Tuchel, who managed the Gabonese goalscorer at Borussia Dortmund, says that he feels for the Arsenal striker, who was reported to have missed a deadline to report back with the Gunners after being given special dispensation to travel home to France to see his mother.
With Chelsea eyeing new attackers and Arsenal seemingly desperate to move the striker on in January, tongues will no doubt be wagging after Tuchel's comments.
"I will at some point," Tuchel responded when asked if he would speak to Aubameyang. "I feel sorry that he is in trouble. I believe in his positive character but I am not involved in this situation or his club. It is just about my picture and relationship".
Arteta meanwhile swerved the question of whether the 32-year-old had played his last game in a red-and-white shirt – while news that Aubameyang is set to miss three games on the trot will likely alarm Arsenal fans who perhaps didn't think this issue as serious as this when the skipper first sat out the Southampton match.
"Has he played his last game for Arsenal? All I can say is that for now, he’s out of the squad, he’s not involved and sadly, this is the decision that we’ve taken," Arteta said of the situation.
"What I can say for now is that, you can understand it is a lot to digest and a really difficult decision to make, so we need a bit of time. It is a really unpleasant situation.
"The decision that we made is really hurting, and it is still like this and it needs a bit of time to heal. So for now, he is not involved in the squad.”
