Arsenal: Mikel Arteta 'begs' Premier League to make key change next season | OneFootball

Gunners boss urges change that would “maintain the mental health of players”

Mikel Arteta has urged the Premier League to increase the size of matchday squads to protect the mental health of players.

Arteta has insisted that is not enough and the Arsenal boss has called for squad sizes to be increased to be more in line with Champions League rules. The Gunners had 12 players on the bench against Kairat on Wednesday night.

"At the moment there are two or three players who have to be out of the squad, that’s a reality and I cannot change that," Arteta said.

"These are the rules, hopefully the Premier League next season instead of 18 outfield players they will do 20.

"I beg them from here, like it is in the Champions League because it’s much better to manage the squad, to maintain the value of the players, to maintain the mental health of the players as nobody wants to get out of the squad.

"I beg them so between all of us to help us with that. We can deal with hotels, travel and all of that, that would be very, very helpful for everybody. The worst thing is to leave somebody [out]."

Christian Norgaard and Kai Havertz are among those to have been left out of Arsenal's Premier League squads in recent weeks despite being available.

With Max Dowman currently being the only player out injured, Arteta will again have to leave first-team players at home for the trip to Leeds on Saturday.

"We have a really unique job, which is we have the ability to transform somebody's life, career, which is great," Arteta said.

"But as well, every week we have to tell somebody, 'tomorrow, you don't do the job. You're not even allowed to travel with the team'.

"So tell me a job that you do that. I cannot go to the kitchen tomorrow and say to two of the chefs, ‘today you don't cook, just go there and see how they cook or go home’. It's really tough.

"So someone that wants to feel part of that, he needs to be there. He needs to travel, he needs to be there and he has to have the feeling that he has a chance.

“When you take that chance away, you have to leave that player because he feels that he's not good enough.

"Because at the end, your decision is clear. I choose another 20 players in front of you. And I think this is something I worry about. Why? Because the demands on games are bigger. So we need bigger squads."