Mikel Arteta explains why two Arsenal stars missed Bayer Leverkusen clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained why Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber missed the Gunners' recent friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen. The Spanish tactician clarified that he did not want to risk the duo.

Speaking to the media after the game, Arteta revealed that Timber was feeling some discomfort in his feet and thus missed out. He said (via Metro):

"With Jurrien, he had a little discomfort in his feet in the last few days. Obviously, with the amount of time that he’s been out, we didn’t want to take any risks with him."

Speaking about Calafiori, Arteta highlighted that the Italian was still adjusting to the new club and thus needed time. He added that the defender could feature in the Emirates Cup final against Lyon on Sunday, August 11. He said:

"In regards to Riccardo, so much has happened to him in one week. He’s come in to a new environment, completely different methodology, different training, and are managing him. We want to do it slowly to get him in the best possible way so hopefully on Sunday he will be available to play some minutes."

Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 in the pre-season clash at the Emirates on Wednesday, showing they were ready for the new season.

Mikel Arteta positive after Arsenal's win over Bayer Leverkusen

Mikel Arteta was pleased with his side's performance in the win over Bayer Leverkusen. He said (via Metro):

"We can take a lot of positives from the game. Apart from the result, the way we performed, there were a lot of very positive aspects, collectively and individually. We take a lot from it and a lot of things to learn as well. There’s a lot of things to improve, especially in the second half when we made certain changes. But again, a really good test, a really good team, really well coached, and it was a good performance."

Mikel Arteta's side have finished second in back-to-back Premier League seasons, but will hope to go one better this time. They will face Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening league game on Saturday, August 17, at home, before travelling to Aston Villa for their second match of the term on August 24.