Arsenal have announced that Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not be part of their squad for next week’s Europa League final against Chelsea.
The Armenian midfielder’s participation in the game has been in doubt because of political tensions between his country and Azerbaijan, where the match will be played.
The Gunners have confirmed in an official statement on Tuesday, that they have decided not to travel with Mkhitaryan.
“We have thoroughly explored all the options for Micki to be part of the squad but after discussing this with Micki and his family we have collectively agreed he will not be in our travelling party.
“We have written to UEFA expressing our deep concerns about this situation. Micki has been a key player in our run to the final so this is a big loss for us from a team perspective.
“We’re also very sad that a player will miss out on a major European final in circumstances such as this, as it is something that comes along very rarely in a footballer’s career.
“Micki will continue to be part of our preparations until we depart for Baku at the weekend,” the statement read.
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