Arsenal star Ben White has, on Friday, opened up on the recent absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the club’s first-team setup.

Auba out in the cold

The name of Gabonese hitman Aubameyang has of course taken its place centre stage in the headlines over the last couple of weeks.

This comes owing to a chain of events which ultimately culminated in the Gabonese being stripped of the captain’s armband at the Emirates.

Aubameyang is understood to have returned late from a trip abroad earlier this month, an infraction which, initially, saw the ex-Borussia Dortmund man dropped for a Premier League meeting with Southampton.

Add to this the fact that the 32-year-old has struggled for form, as well as having his commitment to the Arsenal cause called into question this season, and manager Arteta coming to the eventual decision to seek out a new leader for his panel of young stars becomes all the more understandable.

‘Auba’, in turn, has since been omitted from the Gunners’ ensuing three matchday squads, too.

‘Is what it is’

After Mikel Arteta was drawn on the situation of his now ex-captain during a pre-Norwich media exchange on Thursday, it should therefore come as little surprise to hear that, in an interview of his own on Friday, Ben White was too pressed on Aubameyang’s recent absence.

Speaking to talkSPORT earlier today, stopper White was asked whether the controversy surrounding his high-profile teammate has proven a distraction for the rest of Arsenal’s squad of late.

The former Brighton standout, however, was quick to highlight his side’s impressive form in the absence of Aubameyang, albeit only before admitting that ‘we all miss him’:

‘It hasn’t really looked it on the scoresheet. We’ve been playing well.’

‘Obviously it’s disappointing for Auba but we’ve all got our heads down and we’re working hard. He’s a really nice guy, we all miss him, but it is what it is.’

 

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