Arsene Wenger makes Aaron Ramsey admission ahead of AC Milan v Arsenal
Arsene Wenger explains his decision to leave Aaron Ramsey out of the Arsenal squad for Sunday's clash against Brighton
Arsene Wenger has revealed that he opted to rest Aaron Ramsey for Arsenal’s clash with Brighton on Sunday to reduce the risk of injury to the midfielder.
The Wales international was left out of the squad completely as the Gunners slumped to another disappointing defeat in the Premier League to further dent their hopes of a top four finish.
The Gunners are now in sixth place in the Premier League table and a staggering 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, leaving their hopes of finishing in the top four looking very thin indeed.
Ramsey has recently recovered from an injury and he will be hoping to prove his fitness in the coming weeks as we approach a crucial stage of the season.
And Wenger has revealed that he opted to protect the midfielder on Sunday ahead of Arsenal’s crunch clash with AC Milan in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Speaking at his post-match news conference on Sunday, Wenger explained: “I left him at home because I played him in the two games against City, without a lot of training in behind.
“I didn’t want to gamble today for a physical setback, so I left him completely out of the squad.
“Yes [it’s a sign of the Europa League’s importance], because we have to be realistic.
“We need two teams to collapse [in the Premier League]. I can’t see that at the moment, because two teams to drop so many points is very difficult to imagine.
“But we have to give our best for as long as we can. Of course the Europa League becomes important.”
Arsenal’s best hope of qualifying for the Champions League next season is likely to be winning the Europa League this term.
The Gunners take on Milan in the first leg of their last 16 clash at the San Siro on Thursday night.
