Arteta Explains Rice and Zubimendi's Absence vs Mansfield

Mikel Arteta, the current manager of Arsenal, revealed the reasons behind the absence of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi from the squad for the FA Cup fifth round match against Mansfield Town. The match took place on a Saturday, and both midfielders missed the game against the League One side.

Arteta made a total of nine changes to the team that had secured a 1-0 victory over Brighton in the Premier League midweek. Players such as Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Martinelli retained their positions in the starting XI, while teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon were included in the squad.

Arteta acknowledged the challenges of the match, stating that it is always tough to earn the right to progress to the next round.