He may not be involved tomorrow (Wednesday), but Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka continues to dominate the headlines ahead of the Gunners clash with Liverpool.
The Gunners travel to Anfield tomorrow for a fourth round Carabao Cup tie with Liverpool, but Arsenal boss Unai Emery has already confirmed that Xhaka will not feature, after his exchange with supporters during the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The Swiss international gestured and shouted at fans as he was substituted in the game, cupping his ear to supporters as he was booed by sections of the crowd, before taking his shirt off ahead of going down the tunnel.
Emery said the player was "devastated" after the incident , but said he had trained with the first team since the game, although he would not be involved against the Reds.
Questions still remain over whether Xhaka will remain as the Gunners' captain though, with Emery declining to answer when asked at his pre-match press conference this afternoon (Tuesday).
"I do not want to speak about that. First is to recover him. We cannot anticipate the circumstances," he said.
"I prefer to keep moving."
Emery added that Xhaka was wrong with his reaction, but called on the fans to support the players, describing them as the most important people.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's assistant manager Pep Lijnders was also asked about the situation as he spoke to the media ahead of the Carabao Cup tie.
And while he said the Xhaka situation was best left to Arsenal, he commented on the importance of leadership for any team, citing the example of the leaders within the Reds' squad.
"At Liverpool, we say it's about three things. The Holy Trinity - the fans, the manager and the squad. They have to be connected, they have to be one, they have to understand each other. Arsenal know better how to deal with that (Xhaka issue)," he said.
"At Liverpool, with Jordan [Henderson] and James [Milner] as our captains, we don't need to discipline anyone."
