Arteta also confirmed that he left Brazil striker, Gabriel Jesus out of their squad for the Europa League game at Bodo/Glimt to rest
By Kehinde Okeowo
Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta has said playing on artificial turf against Bodo/Glimt will not stop his team from giving their best on the bench.
Bodo/Glimt have won the Norwegian title for the past two seasons and they face Arsenal, who are top of the Premier League at home on an artificial turf.
Speaking ahead of the Europa League match, Arteta downplayed the game taking place on an artificial pitch.
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According to him, that the players may get injured on such a surface won’t stop his team from trying to win, because players can get injured even in the best of conditions.
Arteta said. “What we think about is how we are going to win the game,” he said. “That’s it. How we win every three days, in different conditions, in different contexts, in different weather, in different competitions, and that’s the only way we are approaching it.
“A player can get injured on an artificial pitch, he can get injured in a training session.
“Obviously, we do what we have to do to protect the players as much as we can, but at the end of the day, for sure we are going to have 11 players on the pitch.”
He also confirmed that he left Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus out of their squad for the game at Bodo/Glimt.
The 25-year-old has played all 11 games for the Gunners this season, scoring five goals and registering five assists.
Jesus also suffered a head injury in the 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday.
“We felt that with everything he’s been through in the last few weeks that it would be better for him to stay at home,” the Arsenal boss added.
Jesus needed treatment against Liverpool when he was caught by defender Kostas Tsimikas.