Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed that Mikel Arteta has told injured players to travel with the squad and even go into the dressing room before matches, just to conceal injury absences.Photo by Shaun

Zinchenko revealed that Arteta “likes to play games with the opposition”, adding that he’s “seen him tell injured players to come on the team bus and walk into the dressing room with their wash bag, to put the other manager off the scent”.

In the past, Arteta's unique approach has included secretly hiring a team of professional pickpockets tasked with taking the phones and wallets of his first-team squad during a dinner.

Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has admitted manager Mikel Arteta "plays games" when it comes to public comments on player injuries. The Gunners boss has been accused of exaggerating the extent of fitness doubts in his squad,