Breaking News: Arsenal star breaks ranks to reveal Mikel Arteta’s tactic to trick opposing managers

Mikel Arteta has looked to use his players – fit or not – in a clever way (Image: Getty Images)

By implying that injured players might be making a late comeback to the team in the lead-up to games, Mikel Arteta has intensified his mind games with opposing managers.

According to Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, frequently includes injured players in their lineup to mislead his opponents.

During his time there, the Gunners coach has transformed the north London team into a contender for the Premier League crown, and he is increasingly trying to manipulate the players’ minds. Sir Alex Ferguson got known for it, and it looks like the Spaniard is following suit.

Since moving to Arsenal in 2022, Zinchenko has witnessed Arteta’s ascent, with the 42-year-old deceiving his opponents with those who are unable to play. The North Londoners have struggled with a number of injuries even this season, but their management has made an effort to take advantage of them.

In order to give the opposition the impression that they might be a late addition, the Ukrainian disclosed that Arteta will incorporate the players who are unavailable by having them travel with the team and enter the dressing rooms.

“[He] enjoys playing games with the opposition,” Zinchenko told The Athletic. In an attempt to distract the opposition manager, I have witnessed him instruct injured players to board the team bus and enter the dressing room carrying their wash bag.

Bukayo Saka’s appearance against Liverpool at the Emirates recently demonstrated that. Arteta stated in the lead-up to the match that the winger was “very uncertain” to play due to an injury problem.

Despite this, the Englishman started the game and had a significant impact, giving the Gunners the lead with a goal after causing Andy Robertson a number of issues down the sides.

“I don’t want to make it easy for anyone,” Arteta later clarified. Like me, the opponent must put in effort, consider their options, prepare, and ensure that they complete their assignments. I wish I knew who is on the bench and who is in the starting lineup, but I don’t. Our task is to guess and do the necessary tasks.

“I’ll tell you everything, but there will be repercussions. Sometimes I can tell a player will be a few weeks, but they are actually a few months, so I have to be quite cautious. There are occasions when I’m not sure if a player will be ready for the press conference or in two days.

“If I am certain or I don’t want to tell you, I will keep you guessing. If I don’t know, I won’t lie to you or say, ‘He’s not fit,’ and then take advantage of him. This is what I do. But it’s also crucial to keep all of my soldiers and everyone else on guard.”