Arteta confirms Martinez will start in the FA Cup final versus Chelsea
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Emiliano Martinez will start for the Gunners in the FA Cup final on Saturday versus Chelsea.
The Argentine has been in sensational form for Arsenal since replacing the injured Bernd Leno and will hope to end the season on a high by lifting the FA Cup.
With Leno back in training and recovering earlier than expected from the knee injury he suffered versus Brighton, some speculated the German goalkeeper could potentially make a shock return to the team this weekend.
But following Arsenal’s 3-2 victory against Watford on the final day of the season, Arteta confirmed that Martinez will start on Saturday.
“Emi has earned his place with another brilliant performance today again when the team needed him,” he said. “He made some fantastic saves, Bernd is still recovering from his injury, so Emi is the one now.”
While the goalkeeper position seems cemented, it’s unknown which outfield players the Gunners boss will field against Chelsea after revealing players will have to earn their spots in training.
“We are back at training on Tuesday and everybody will have to earn their place form zero – and even more so after today,” Arteta said.
One player who will be absent for Arsenal is defender Shkodran Mustafi. The German injured his hamstring during the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City and Arteta confirmed he will miss the start of next season.
