Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Aaron Ramsdale is set to be out for a number of weeks, with the Arsenal goalkeeper ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa.
Arteta’s side travel to Villa Park in Saturday’s only Premier League game, knowing they can open up a five-point gap on their rivals in the battle for a top-four finish. But Arsenal head to the Midlands without Ramsdale, who suffered a hip injury in the build-up to the clash.
The former Sheffield United keeper quickly usurped Bernd Leno as Arteta’s No.1, taking just three league games before coming in for the out-of-favour German. Leno looks destined to leave the club at the end of the season, but is now in line for a more concerted run in the team, with Ramsdale set for a spell on the sidelines.
"We’re trying to maintain a high performance, like we had the other day [against Liverpool ],” he told BT Sport ahead of kick-off against Villa. “How we attacked the box and defended the box made a difference in the last game. Otherwise we need to keep the momentum going and confidence going.
“Aaron Ramsdale had a muscle injury and will be out for a few weeks. Gabriel Martinelli’s been sick the last few days, so he’s out of the squad unfortunately.”
The injury means Ramsdale will likely drop out of the England squad, having been called up by Gareth Southgate for the friendly matches against Switzerland and Ivory Coast.
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With Leno starting the game, 20-year-old Arthur Okonkwo is named on the bench with high hopes for his future in the team. "He has earned his place in the first team with everything he has done at the academy level,” Arteta said during pre-season. “But things will get better. He will have another chance on Saturday so hopefully, he can be better."
Ramsdale will have been desperate to return to action and right the wrong which saw Liverpool’s Diogo Jota fire under his body to open the scoring in the 2-0 defeat last time out. And Arteta admitted the error left him hugely disappointed, whilst backing him to quickly rediscover his best form.
“He was gutted after the match and it’s normal because he’s so competitive,” he explained prior to Ramsdale’s injury. “He needs to realise that this is going to happen in his career.
“If you’re going to play for the national team probably you’re going to have a moment when you do something and then instead of some part of the country it will be the whole country (who are criticising him), and if you want to be at the top for 10, 15 years you have to be prepared for that. It’s about how you react in those moments.”
Asked how he will react, the Arsenal boss added: “Top. He wants to be there the next day, he wants to go and practice, he wants to see. He’s very critical of himself so sometimes he needs help to put things into perspective and for him to realise how much he has contributed to the team.”
