Granit Xhaka may have sent a jibe to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in his praise of fellow Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette.
Aubameyang was relieved of his captaincy duties earlier this month after a disciplinary breach that has seen him left out of Mikel Arteta's matchday squad in each of their last five outings across all competitions.
The Gabon international is currently training away from the rest of the first team, with Arteta refusing to reveal when the 32-year-old will return to the current setup.
Speaking after the Gunners defeated Norwich City 5-0 on Boxing Day, the Spaniard said: "He wasn’t selected for today’s match.
"We’ll take it game by game. That was the decision."
The 32-year-old will be heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations in the New Year and football.london understands that Arsenal are open to offers for the former Borussia Dortmund star, who football.london understands is also assessing his options ahead of the winter window.
Now, Xhaka may have inadvertently revealed how he feels about the whole situation, hailing French frontman Lacazette for consistently being on time, something that Aubameyang has reportedly struggled with in the past.
"At the moment Laca is our captain and I am more than happy for him," the Swiss captain told the Athletic.
"He is a very important person for us on and off the pitch. He is a lovely boy.
"He has a lot of respect from other players and a lot of experience over the years. I believe you need a player like this.
"He is always here. He is never too late. A lot of discipline. He is a funny guy. He is very open and you can speak with him whenever you want. I believe at the moment he is the right person to be our captain.”
