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Football London
Football London
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Rohan Jivan

Mikel Arteta admits fitness issue keeping Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal false nine transition

Arsenal take on Southampton tomorrow afternoon in the Premier League in the hope of getting back to winning ways following disappointing results in their previous two fixtures.

The Gunners' hopes of finishing in the top four have been dented after back to back defeats to Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace and most recently against Brighton at the Emirates last Saturday.

But with Arsenal just three points behind Spurs, who currently sit in fourth, Mikel Arteta's men are still well in the race for a spot in Europe's top-flight next season although a win is desperately needed tomorrow afternoon.

READ MORE: Arsenal handed Thomas Partey injury blow as Mikel Arteta hints midfielder's season may be over

Arteta has many tough decisions to make, one of which is who should be given the nod to lead the line and act as the focal point of the attack.

Alexandre Lacazette could be a doubt for tomorrow's game after the Arsenal boss confirmed that the Frenchman has missed training due to private reasons.

But even if the former Lyon striker is available for selection, many would argue that he shouldn't keep his place because of the lacklustre performances delivered of late.

Both Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah are the first names that spring to mind when looking at internal striker solutions but Emile Smith Rowe operating as a false nine is another option that Arteta has previously stated the Gunners can use.

The Hale End Graduate is comfortable in tight spaces, possessing the ability to link attacks together with his back to goal when the ball is at his feet and is comfortable in drifting into various zones across the front line.

But in his latest press conference, Arteta spoke about how Smith Rowe's fitness problems have prevented him from being coached fully into playing this role.

"He’s not been completely fit to be training and playing every game, but it’s a possibility. It’s a position that I think he can fulfil in the future, but he needs training, and he needs experience in it," he said.

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