Mikel Arteta reveals he’s ‘BEGGING’ Premier League chiefs to make major rule change to overhaul matchday squads

MIKEL ARTETA has been “begging” Premier League officials to expand matchday squads for the “welfare of the players”. Rules currently allow managers to name nine substitutes on the bench, an increase from the seven permitted before the Covid-19 pandemic. Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta holds a football during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre Credit: Getty Arsenal Manager Arteta looks on during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre Credit: Getty But Arteta wants Prem chiefs to increase that so he does not have to leave anyone at home. The Arsenal boss, whose side go to Aston Villa tonight, has had to leave stars like Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus out of his matchday squad this term and feels it leads to a number of issues — that duo are now both set to leave. Sign up for the Arsenal newsletter Thank you! Arteta said: “That’s why I have been begging the Premier League to extend those numbers just for the welfare of the players, which is the most important thing. “I think every squad needs more than 20 outfield players, ideally, to sustain the level of demand in international games that we have. “But these are the rules, and within the rules, we have to play. “We need to be very close to the players to explain those situations in the right way, for everybody to feel important, because they will be.” The Gunners chief revealed last week that Gabriel Jesus was not part of Arsenal training because of the “numbers in the squad”. And Arteta does not want to continue having “tough” conversations with players who would rather be with the squad than at home watching on TV. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS He added: “More than anybody, the question has to be to the players. “What do they want? If they say, ‘no, I prefer to stay at home’, then we have an issue because then they don’t love what they do. “But I’m sure if you ask players, everybody would like to be part of the squad on matchday. “Otherwise, you have to tell someone they aren’t even part of the matchday squad. That’s really, really tough. And it doesn’t help anybody. “It doesn’t help the club, doesn’t help the valuation of the player and doesn’t help them to feel part of it. “In my opinion, it is a real issue with a really, really simple solution.” Comment now