Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has vowed that Arsenal will win the Europa League final in Baku for absent teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The Armenian won't be in Azerbaijan for the final against Chelsea after pulling out of the match, with political tensions in the region ensuring that his safety couldn't be guaranteed.
The decision to host the match in Baku has come under huge criticism, with both London clubs only given 6,000 tickets each and supporters facing visa issues as they bid to enter the country.
“We know it is a big shame but we respect his decision," said Aubameyang, via the Evening Standard .
"It is not easy for him to go there because of political problems. It is a big shame but now we have one more motivation to win.
“Everybody here wants to be back in the Champions League. That’s been the target since the beginning of the season.”
Goalkeeper Petr Cech - who is set to face his former side in what will be his final ever competitive match before retirement also criticised the situation.
“Politics and sport should always stay apart," he told beIN Sports.
"Sport brings people together and you should use it as a tool to overcome problems. When you choose the places for finals, there should be certain criteria, [one of] which should be everybody able to go without any problems.
“I feel sorry for him [Mkhitaryan] but we can make him feel happy if we win the trophy, because he played a big part in us reaching the final.
"It has been a very hard decision. Every player wants to be part of a team that plays in a final. He is not injured, he is fit, he helped us to go all the way.”
