Martin Keown has been left red-faced after saying he expects Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be stripped of his captaincy.
The striker was omitted from Arsenal's squad that beat Southampton 3-0 on Saturday due to a disciplinary breach.
The Athletic claims Aubameyang was given permission to fly abroad for personal reasons but returned later than agreed and due to Covid-19 protocols, he missed training on Friday - and was dropped for the Saints' visit.
Former Arsenal defender Keown reckons the captain's armband should be taken off the Gabon international as a result.
He said: "The captaincy is in question now. You can’t keep being late or disappearing on trips abroad and not coming back on time, your team needs you and he’s not there when you need him most so I expect that to change.”
Join the debate! Should Arteta take the captain's armband off of Aubameyang? Comment here.
It's a complete U-turn from Keown, who claimed Unai Emery made a huge error making Granit Xhaka captain back in September 2019 - insisting that Aubameyang was the better choice.
The former Borussia Dortmund talisman would eventually take the armband off the Swiss midfielder under Arteta, but it's clear the pundit thought it was the right choice - an opinion which he has now done a full 180 on.
He told talkSPORT at the time: "This is a massive call and I think perhaps he [Emery] has got it wrong.
“This is really going to divide the fans. There are times when Xhaka goes missing in midfield, he’s given penalties away… he must be an incredible character off the pitch!
“It’s surprising, particularly how he was booed off the pitch less than a week ago.
“It’s a brave decision by the manager, he’s picked him every time he’s available so he clearly believes in the player, but I’m surprised, I must say.
“You need to be sure the captain is going to be in the team and he’s on borrowed time. There are others in that group, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, Dani Ceballos, who are starting to progress, so if Xhaka is still going to be a permanent fixture than I’m surprised by that.
“I would have gone for Aubameyang, he would have been a pretty good fit. It might have given him a little more extra responsibility. He’s doing fantastically well at the moment and he’s secure in the team, he’s a regular.”
Arteta remained tight-lipped over the situation and refused to reveal if there would be a change of captaincy.
He said: "He had a disciplinary breach, that applies to everybody. That's a non-negotiable and when that happens he’s out of the team. Whatever happens in the dressing room, I cannot share. I am sorry.
"I’m telling you the reason, I cannot lie, it was that, this is where I stand. From my side, I will never [say what the breach was.]"
