Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is delighted with the attitude of his fringe players.
Arteta is expected to recall the bulk of his first team for Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester, having rested the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the Carabao Cup win over Leeds in midweek.
With no European football this season, that competition has presented Arteta with his only real chance for wholesale rotation, meaning the Spaniard has found it difficult to share minutes around the squad.
“What I'm really pleased with is that players are knocking on the door with the right attitude to play and that's giving us options," Arteta said.
“I don't see anybody trying to find excuses when they're not playing or trying to blame somebody else when they're not playing.
"They're just trying to put in the best possible work in training and then talk on the pitch. Talking outside the pitch is easy because you can always find excuses and blame everybody else.
“When you have the opportunity [on the pitch] it's the moment to talk and show that you can do it and I really liked, in many examples, what the players have done when they've been in those positions."
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