Arsenal have announced Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not be in their squad against Chelsea in the upcoming Europa League final against Chelsea.
The news was revealed in an official statement by the club earlier today.
“We have thoroughly explored all the options for Micki to be part of the squad but after discussing this with Micki and his family we have collectively agreed he will not be in our travelling party”, the statement reads.
“We have written to Uefa expressing our deep concerns about this situation. Micki has been a key player in our run to the final so this is a big loss for us from a team perspective”.
The cup final is set to take place in Azerbaijan, a country which has tense political relations with Mkhitaryan’s home nation of Armenia. It’s believed the Arsenal player feared for his safety if he was to participate in the match.
In a response to Arsenal’s decision, UEFA have said: “Working alongside Arsenal FC, Uefa sought and received assurances regarding the player’s safety in Azerbaijan from the highest authorities in the country.
“While the club acknowledges the efforts that Uefa and the Azeri government have gone to in this matter, we respect the personal decision not to travel with the player”.
The final between Arsenal and Chelsea is due to take place on May 29 and if Arsenal are able to secure a win, they will be granted entry into next season’s Champions League tournament.
Read the full statement from Arsenal here.