Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner has revealed that Mikel Arteta urged all of his players to keep fit and stay healthy during the ongoing international break.
The north Londoners find themselves eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table having won six league matches on the bounce. However, they don't play again until next month, when they welcome Leeds United to the Emirates Stadium on April 1.
Naturally, Gunners supporters are nervous in case any of their players get injured whilst on international duty - something that Arteta is clearly thinking about too. "No one's looking at this international break as an escape or as a little bit of time away," backup keeper Turner said.
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"I think the message from our manager and the message amongst the players is very clear: you're going away to keep fit, to keep playing at the highest level, obviously stay healthy, treat your body right and come back firing on all cylinders because we're definitely not the only club that's on pause right now.
"We need to come back with the right mentality and ready to continue to win games and I think that we have such a good nucleus at the club, that that won't be an issue."
One player that won't feature during the break is defender William Saliba. The 21-year-old was forced to withdraw from Didier Deschamps' France squad after picking up a lower back injury during Arsenal's Europa League second leg against Sporting CP.
Arteta will be desperate for the talented centre-back to return to fitness as soon as possible ahead of a hectic April that sees his side travel to Anfield and the Etihad Stadium.
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