Mikel Arteta has confirmed he is pressing the Premier League to allow clubs to name more substitutes on matchdays, after he was forced to omit several senior players from Arsenal's squad for the Community Shield.
Arteta's plea after squad omissions
Speaking to TNT Sports, the Arsenal manager said: "It's really sad not to have their availability. I've been fighting with the Premier League to extend and accommodate more players in the squad because they deserve to be in the squad, there's no question."
Arteta's comments came after Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in Cardiff, with the first goal scored inside the opening 30 seconds. The bench included Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie, but notable absentees were teenage prospect Ethan Nwaneri and forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
Nwaneri and Salmon left out
Arteta also referenced another young player, saying: "Ethan [Nwaneri] and Marli [Salmon] as well, who has had the whole pre-season with us. Hopefully we can change that rule so players can enjoy on the pitch and can be an option to play and contribute to the team going forward."
Jesus has just 12 months remaining on his contract at the Emirates, while Martinelli has attracted interest from Galatasaray and faces competition for one of the squad's most contested positions.
Arteta confirms duo's importance
When asked whether the pair would remain at Arsenal during the transfer window, Arteta responded: "Yes they're very important for us."
The bench also featured England's Rice, who is expected to return to the starting line-up, alongside Spain's World Cup winners Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi.
Arteta has assembled one of Europe's strongest squads during his tenure, providing significant depth. Clubs lower down the Premier League table may argue that expanding substitute numbers would give elite teams an even greater advantage.
