Arsenal expect Aubameyang to team up with Gabon for AFCON qualifiers

Mikel Arteta is expecting Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to link up with Gabon for African Nations Cup qualifiers (AFCON)

Under current Government guidelines, anyone returning from coronavirus ‘red list’ countries – including elite athletes – is required to quarantine for 10 days, without exception.

Arsenal have confirmed they will not release players with matches in those countries and Aubameyang falls into that category.

Gabon are playing away in Angola – a ‘red list’ country – on March 29 and Aubameyang will not play in that game.

But he can play in Gabon’s home match with DR Congo on March 25 and Arteta expects him to do so.

“We believe that he is going to be okay to go. We have still a few other issues with some players that finished with some issues,” he said.

“So I don’t know. Unless some rules change or some countries have gone into the red zone. I don’t know at the moment how the situation is.”

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Asked if he would prefer if Aubameyang stayed with Arsenal, Arteta said: “Well you never know, sometimes if they play a game and he scores and he gets out of the environment and then he comes back, sometimes it’s good.

“It’s great to have him here, as obviously we can train more specifically with him somethings that will be important. But it is not in our hands. If he is allowed to go, he will go. If not, he will stay.”