Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has accepted that he simply hasn’t given Fabio Vieira the amount of playing time he really deserves.
Fabio Vieira hasn’t been given as many minutes as Mikel Arteta would ideally like at Arsenal.
Arteta has admitted that Vieira’s lack of playing time is his fault as he spoke to Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal’s clash with PSV Eindhoven.
After a battling win against Everton on Sunday afternoon, Arsenal now turn their attention to Champions League action.
Arsenal welcome PSV to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night and will be looking for a win ahead of the North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Mikel Arteta comments on Fabio Vieira
Arteta will be weighing up his team selection for the PSV game, no doubt considering some changes to the starting XI with Spurs on the horizon.
One man hoping to keep his place in the team is Fabio Vieira, who was given a start against Everton on Sunday.
The 23-year-old recorded assists against Fulham and Manchester United earlier this season, so Arteta gave him a chance against Everton.
Vieira couldn’t add another assist but he will be hoping to have done enough to feature prominently moving forward.
A £34million signing from Porto last summer, Vieira only started three Premier League games last season and is now looking for more action.
Arteta admitted that Vieira not playing more is his fault, noting that he hasn’t played Vieira often enough in the Arsenal team.
Arteta thinks there may not have been enough room for Vieira to shine in the Arsenal setup but the Gunners see his talent every single day in training.
“That was my fault,” said Arteta. “I said many times that I haven’t played him enough and he hadn’t had enough room in the team maybe, with the competition that we play, to participate more but we see every day the talent that he’s got and what he can bring to the team, and I was really happy with the performance at the weekend,” he added.
Vieira may sense his chance to shine now
Vieira started against Everton and this may be the right time to strike for a major first-team role at Arsenal.
Thomas Partey is out, which means Declan Rice is playing in the holding midfield for Arsenal.
Kai Havertz had joined Martin Odegaard in an advanced role but the German hasn’t flourished in the opening weeks of the season.
That means Vieira now has a chance to shine and all he can do is prove that he is a better option in midfield than Havertz.
Arteta is clearly a big fan and Vieira must hope that these comments lead to a bigger role this season.
The post 'My fault': Mikel Arteta admits £34m player simply hasn't started enough games for Arsenal appeared first on HITC.
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