Mikel Arteta insists he hopes Myles Lewis-Skelly will retain his place in future England squads after the Arsenal star received a warning from Thomas Tuchel.
The Three Lions boss named his squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Latvia on Friday.
Tuchel omitted a trio of star names in Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish, but there was a place for teenager Lewis-Skelly.
The Gunners’ left-back made a sensational breakthrough last season for both club and country, but the return to full fitness of Riccardo Calafiori has seen him drop down Arteta’s pecking order.
Tuchel sounded a not of caution yesterday, suggesting it could become a ‘problem’ for Lewis-Skelly should he continue to struggle for minutes.
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‘Maybe it becomes a problem for him, yeah,’ Tuchel said when asked about Lewis-Skelly’s lack of starts for Arsenal this season. ‘To just be a good citizen in camp will not be enough over the course of a year.
‘He was a very good player in camp, a very good team-mate in camp (last month). But being a good team-mate in camp may not be good enough to stay the whole year with us.
‘You have to perform at club level on a regular basis. In the last camp he got the credit, that I was convinced we have to take care of him and nominate him because we accelerated his career. It was our responsibility after we called him last season. So we stick to this.’
The Hale End Academy graduate did start and impressed in the midweek win over Monaco but is likely to return to the bench for Saturday’s Premier League game against West Ham.
Responding to Tuchel’s message to one of his most promising young players, Arteta joked: ‘Thanks Thomas!
‘Hopefully he plays a lot and he plays at the level he’s been playing with us. Hopefully he can enjoy the national team and enjoy the World Cup.
‘I want the best for my players and having the chance to play in a World Cup is something I don’t want to take out from anybody that’s for sure.’
Ethan Nwaneri has also struggled for game time this season after signing a new long-term contract in the summer.
The gifted midfielder was left out of the matchday squad for last weekend’s game at Newcastle and failed to get off the bench against Monaco.
‘I work with what the boys can provide in the context that the team is playing in at the moment,’ added Arteta.
‘Ethan has played two games in the Premier League very early because of an injury to Martin as well. He played in other competitions and he will play more.
‘With Myles, it’s the same, but sometimes it’s form, sometimes it’s the fact that we want to do certain things in relation to the position and that’s it.
‘What I want is for them to be in the state that they are in. They have to be used and when they are playing, whether it is to a starter game or for a few minutes, they are fully ready and both of them have been really good at that.’
from: elfutbolero.us