• Xhaka was ill not dropped for home defeat to Chelsea
Mikel Arteta wants Granit Xhaka to stay at Arsenal. The midfielder missed the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea owing to illness but European clubs are reportedly still monitoring his situation with a view to a January transfer.
Hertha Berlin are said to be pushing hard to sign the 27-year-old but when asked about Xhaka leaving, Arteta replied: “I hope not. He played at Bournemouth, he played really well, he was very committed, he played a really good game. After the game he started to feel ill. He had a temperature and he wasn’t feeling good. The last two days he was in bed. That’s why he wasn’t selected [against Chelsea].”
Related: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea: five talking points from the Emirates | Nick Ames
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