Mikel Arteta has warned Aaron Ramsdale not to rush any decision over his future after England manager Gareth Southgate told the goalkeeper he could not promise him a place at Euro 2024 if he remains on the bench at Arsenal.
Ramsdale has been called up by Southgate for England’s final two qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia and will be aiming to add to his four senior caps.
However, the 25-year-old has been ousted as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper since the arrival of David Raya from Brentford and has played just twice since the September international break.
Speaking after naming his latest squad, Southgate said of Ramsdale’s plight: “I think longer-term, we’re just going to have to see how it is. I had that conversation with him in the last camp.
“He’s still battling to be the number one at Arsenal, and his profile and the way he can use the ball with his feet, we like, we think that’s important.
“But there is a reality as a keeper, if we get to March and he’s six months without playing regularly, then I’m never going to promise things that I couldn’t guarantee delivering.”
Arteta has not spoken to Ramsdale about the issue but warned against a January move in a quest to find first-team football.
So making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all— Mikel Arteta
“First of all my door is open to speak about any player,” he said.
“We just want the best for our players and we try to do that, and we know the influence that we can have – sometimes positively, sometimes not so positively, towards them.
“We will always try to do our best to help them, but this is a team sport that needs 24 players that have to fulfil a role. And the role that you have in August, it might be very different to the one you have in March.
“So making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all and as well because the team has certain needs that has to be accomplished. And in order to do that you cannot do it with six, 10 or 14 players. It is impossible. So you need everyone and Aaron has a really important role in the team.
“I have no messages for any clubs (who may look to sign Ramsdale). I can talk a little bit about my players, how much I like my players, how much I like Aaron and that we want Aaron with us, that’s for sure.”
Ramsdale is likely to once again be among the substitutes as Arsenal host Burnley on Saturday night looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Arteta, though, could be without as many as eight first-team players for the visit of the Clarets as captain Martin Odegaard is “still racing” to be fit, while Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu both came off injured in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Sevilla.
Forwards Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah could miss out with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, while Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Jurrien Timber are definite absentees.
“Some of the injuries that we had, they are some bad luck, some of them have been long-term injuries with some special players and when we didn’t have a lot of depth,” he added.
“We can talk about the depth, but after you have to talk about the specific positions or certain units where we are a little bit shorter.
“But it is the challenge of the season and other people have to step up, and that as well is a good test for the team – how we take those moments and how we actually respond to that. So far, the team is doing well.”
