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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Mark Jones

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes decision on Granit Xhaka after red card against Burnley

Mikel Arteta says that Granit Xhaka has been dealt with internally as the Arsenal boss looks to move on from Sunday's defeat to Burnley.

Swiss midfielder Xhaka was sent off just before the hour mark of the clash against the Clarets, which was ultimately settled by a late Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang own goal.

That strike condemned the Gunners to a fourth successive home defeat in the Premier League, but Arteta is refusing to dwell on Xhaka's dismissal ahead of Southampton's visit to north London on Tuesday night.

When asked at his press conference is he has discussed the issue with Xhaka, Arteta said: "Whatever happens internally, I'm sorry but we cannot discuss.

"It's been resolved internally and this is what I can say."

Xhaka was dismissed for grabbing Ashley Westwood's throat (PA)

Arteta went on to defend the midfielder against accusations that he is unprofessional.

"He has [had a few rocky moments] and he's not the only one," he continued. "There's a lot of players who have had rocky moments.

"What I can say about Granit is that his professionalism and his commitment with the club and with his team-mates is maximum.

Arteta has defended the Swiss midfielder (Catherine Ivill/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"He knows and we know that he had a moment where he lost it and I know the reason why, but what I cannot do is just throw everything that he has done away just because he made a mistake.

"We have all made mistakes and I am here as well to protect the players when I see that they deserve that and for sure, Granit is one of them for the way he approaches every training session and the way he wants to do things in the right way all the time and the professional that he is."

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