Arsenal

That's all we have from Mikel Arteta before his Arsenal side face Southampton in the FA Cup.

Here are the best quotes from the Spanish tactician's pre-match news conference:

• 'A good team effort' - Arteta on winning Premier League manager of the month award
• 'Arsenal have good relationship with national teams'
• 'I will let you do the speculation' - Arteta on whether the 11 players who missed international duty are available
• 'We want to go to Wembley again'
• Team news ahead of FA Cup quarter-final
• Arteta coy on cup goalkeeper choice after Arrizabalaga error

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on recent record against Southampton: "There are certain things which are going to be similar. At the end you have to talk about the moment. They have a different team and different players and we are also a different team.

"We will try to do what we believe is the right thing and what the team needs to give us the best chance to win the game."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on FA Cup ambitions: "It's a huge competition and very closely related to the history of our football club. We are going to play a team who are in a really good moment. They've won a lot of games recently. We are ready for them and we want to go to Wembley again. We will be ready for that."

"It is the magic of the FA Cup that every scenario every context has a history. This is a special game. We are ready to face that tomorrow."

Image source, Getty Images

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on who among David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga will be his goalkeeper for the FA Cup game: "Tomorrow, the goalkeeper is going to be European. He is under 32. Right-footed. And he speaks at least two languages."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Noni Madueke's fitness after the player was seen wearing a knee brace during England duty: "It's not bad. It looked really bad and Noni was really worried, especially with what happened with his other knee and he was out for six weeks. But it's nowhere near that injury and that is good news."

On whether Madueke will be out for just few days: "Yes, I think so."

On Eberechi Eze: "He's out. With him, I cannot say how long because he is a special character."

On Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber: "Those are in contention to be in the squad."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on whether those 11 players will be available for the upcoming fixtures: "You will see. I will let you do the speculation. You can judge afterwards.

"We are in a position right now where we need to make the strongest line-up we possibly can to win every competition. We are two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us."

Arsenal

More from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on players withdrawing from national team duties during international break: "When you are fit and available to play for the national team, you have to play. It makes us so proud that we had that many players in the national team.

"Players are desperate to play for their nation. I know how important it is to them. We are fully supportive of that and when we can do it, we do it."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on 11 of his players withdrawing from national team duties during international break: "We have very good relationship and communication with most of the national teams - certainly with [England manager] Thomas [Tuchel] too.

"We have been extremely supportive all the time. When you have to communicate the state of every player, we are always honest and a medical decision had to be made. That was clear what the conclusion was."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on being named Premier League manager of the month: "It means we've won a lot of games during an important and crucial part of the game, so it's a good team effort.

"It's a reflection of what the team is doing - the amount of performances and games that we are winning."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal

Arteta says "you will see" when asked about team news and adds he will "continue the speculations".

Arsenal

Arteta says Arsenal have a really good relationship with national teams and he has a good relationship with Thomas Tuchel.

He says when a player is fit they have to play and his players are desperate top play for their national teams. The club are fully supportive of that, he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta says his manager of the month award was a team effort as the award means his team are winning.

We shall see, Julian, we shall see.

Here's Mikel Arteta now...

Alex Howell
BBC Sport reporter

There has been a lot of talk about the amount of Arsenal players who have withdrawn throughout this international window but each player will have their reason and will have been assessed.

Some may be sceptical about some of these withdrawals but apart from striker Viktor Gyokeres, who is still with Sweden, nine of Arsenal's players who have withdrawn are in their top 10 for minutes played by outfield players this season.

After losing key players to injury on previous international breaks, Arteta will be happy about the caution being shown with his stars at such a key stage of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

England manager Thomas Tuchel said he "understood" the possible suspicion around Arsenal's 11 withdrawals, but on Rice and Saka he insisted he had "no reason to believe" they had not been honest with him and his medical staff.

The German added both "wanted desperately" to play in Tuesday's friendly against Japan, but that the risk of making their issues worse was deemed "way too big" after a medical assessment by the national team.

Tuchel said: "I understand the look of it. I still have 100% trust in the honesty of Bukayo and Declan. We did medical tests. I saw them.

"Declan was even out on the pitch. He did not come and say, 'Guys, I'm going home'."

"Our manager's face looks good on a scarf, you'll never sing that"

Harry: Well you've got to give Arteta one thing, he certainly looks better on a scarf than our Pep.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal continued getting headlines despite not being in action during the international break, mainly due to their vast amount of withdrawals from respective national camps around the world.

The Gunners had 11 players in total either not fly out initially, or withdraw midway through a camp.

Across the 20 Premier League sides, 228 players were called up for their international sides. Twenty-three of those have since dropped out - and almost half were Arsenal players.

Following the Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City earlier this month, defender William Saliba confirmed he would not be joining up with France because of an ankle injury.

His centre-back partner Gabriel then withdrew from the Brazil squad with a knee problem.

They were later joined by England forward Eberechi Eze (calf), Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard (knee) and Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber (groin) - who all missed the cup final defeat at Wembley through injury - as well as Belgium forward Leandro Trossard (hip).

After players joined up with their respective countries, five more from Arsenal withdrew - England trio Declan Rice (knock), Bukayo Saka (knock) and Noni Madueke (injured his knee against Uruguay) as well as Spain's Martin Zubimendi (knee) and Ecuador's Piero Hincapie (undisclosed).

Arsenal

Ten matches are the minimum that Arsenal have left to play in 2025-26 but if they are to win the sought after treble, 15 stand in their way.

Here's what's left on the cards as things stand...

• Southampton (a) - FA Cup quarter-final
• Sporting (a) - Champions League quarter-final
• Bournemouth (h)
• Sporting (h) - Champions League quarter-final
• Man City (a)
• Newcastle (h) / FA Cup semi-final
• Potential Champions League semi-final
• Fulham (h)
• Potential Champions League semi-final
• West Ham (a)
• Burnley (h) / FA Cup final
• Crystal Palace (a)
• Potential Champions League final