Arteta: Stuivenberg in charge, squad in ‘good place’

Mikel Arteta says assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg will be in charge for the New Year’s Day clash with Manchester City but he’s not yet sure who else from his support team will be on the bench because the Covid situation at London Colney remains fluid.

It was confirmed earlier this week that Arteta had been laid low by the virus for the second time since the pandemic took hold and will watch tomorrow’s game from home.

Having had three players absent from the win over Norwich due to positive Covid tests, the manager was at least optimistic about the state of his squad which appears relatively unscathed coming into the first game of 2022.

“I feel much, much better today,” said Arteta during Friday’s pre-game press conference on Zoom.

“I had a couple of rough days but obviously I’ve experienced this before. The squad is in a good place, we’ve tested the players and we don’t have any other news other than the ones before.

“I’ll try to communicate with them as much as possible and obviously, I’ll be relying on the rest of the team and coaches that we have. I believe in them 100 per cent.

He added: “Albert will be in charge. With the rest of the team, it will depend on who is unavailable because there have been so many [Covid] issues in that department recently. Hopefully, everybody will be there to help as much as possible.

“No [I don’t know],” he replied when pressed on who will support Stuivenberg.

“We will be in touch but as well I want to give them the possibility, the responsibility and the freedom to make decisions on the pitch and to express themselves.

“It’s completely different being on that touchline with the players and the action than being at home. I’m going to be here to support and help in certain moments but they have to get the momentum of the game and communicate with the players themselves.”