Mikel Arteta has confirmed goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will return to Arsenal’s Premier League team on Saturday, with David Raya ineligible to face his parent club Brentford.
Raya has started every Premier League and Champions League game for the Gunners since the September international break, usurping Ramsdale as Arsenal’s No 1 in the process.
Raya is on loan from Brentford – with a view to making the temporary deal permanent next summer for £30m – and Premier League rules state that loan players cannot play against their parent clubs.
Arteta confirmed at his pre-Brentford press conference that Ramsdale will start in goal for the Gunners again on Saturday evening.
🗞 Managing his 200th game
🗞 Record against Saturday’s opponent
🗞 Team newsRead every word of Mikel’s pre-Brentford presser 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 24, 2023
When asked if there was any expectation on Ramsdale ahead of the Gtech Community stadium, Arteta said:
“My job is to try and help people in the very best possible way every day to make them better and give them the best possible chance to fulfil the potential in their career and get to the highest possible position.
“There is no expectation with any player.”
Ramsdale has only played twice for Arsenal since his last Premier League outing on September 3, when they beat Manchester United 3-2 – both have come in the Carabao Cup.
One of those games was, coincidentally, an away trip to Brentford, with Ramsdale impressing with a string of saves in a 1-0 win. The other saw the England international concede three in the Carabao Cup fourth-round loss at West Ham on November 1.
