Mikel Arteta said he can ‘always count on’ Myles Lewis-Skelly’ after Thomas Tuchel warned that his future England spot is in jeopardy if he doesn’t play more.
Lewis-Skelly scored on his debut in Tuchel’s first game in charge, the 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Albania at Wembley in March.
But after a breakout campaign last term, the left back has failed to start any of Arsenal’s Premier League games so far this season, with Riccardo Calafiori preferred.
Lewis-Skelly’s only starts of the season have come against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup and in Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League win over Olympiacos.
Tuchel selected the 19-year-old for England’s upcoming matches against Wales and Latvia, and complimented him as a ‘very good team-mate and citizen’ in the camp. Though reminded him his need to play more for Arsenal to stay in the squad.
When asked about Lewis-Skelly’s latest call-up, Arteta said: ‘Very much (proud of him), and coming from someone like Thomas, who I know very well, for him to describe Myles in that way, I think it’s a credit to the boy, the families and everybody that has been part of his education, because that’s very, very important as well.
Mikel Arteta said he can ‘always count on’ Myles Lewis-Skelly’ after Thomas Tuchel warned that the 19-year-old’s future England spot is in jeopardy if he doesn’t play more for Arsenal
After a breakout campaign last term, the left back has failed to start any of Arsenal ’s Premier League games so far this season, with Italy international Riccardo Calafiori preferred
‘Myles, as you said, he hasn’t played for a lot of the minutes that he wanted but he’s professional in the way he’s engaged with the team, with the team, with the national team and this gives you always the possibility to count on him.
‘The other day we had to play in the Champions League and I think he had a really good game.’
His Gunners team-mate Ethan Nwaneri has also had to contend with limited minutes. Arteta explained the rationale as to why.
He said: ‘I don’t work with expectations. I work with what the boys can provide in the context that the team is playing in that moment.
‘And Ethan has played two games in the Premier League very early because of an injury to Martin (Odegaard) as well. He played in other competitions, and he will play more.
‘With Myles, it’s the same. Sometimes it’s form, sometimes it’s the fact that we want to do certain things in relation to the opposition. And that’s it. What I want is that they are in the state that they have to be used. And when they are playing, whether it is to start games or for a few minutes, they are fully ready. And both of them, they’ve been really good at that.’
