Arsenal have confirmed that veteran centre-back Per Mertesacker will be the new club captain at the Emirates, taking over from Mikel Arteta after the Spaniard left the club and retired from football at the end of last season.
Reports in the press overnight had suggested that Santi Cazorla might be the man entrusted with the role, but a post on the club's official Twitter account named the 31-year-old German as the man to lead the club forward.
In a short statement on the club's website, Arsene Wenger revealed some other members of the squad - Cazorla included - would fill in for Mertesacker as he continues to recover from a knee injury which looks set to see him sidelined until around the end of the year.
Wenger said: “Per is a very respected figure in the dressing room, is loved as well and is also a very demanding figure. I think it is absolutely natural to be [him].
“[In his absence] that’s where it will be taken by the assistants. One of them will be Koscielny, also Cazorla - the experienced players - Cech maybe. We will have a group of people that will take care of the energy levels and the problems of the team. That will be down a lot to the experienced players.”
The Gunners kick off their Premier League campaign on Sunday against Liverpool, missing not only Mertesacker but also centre-back partners Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel, leaving a gaping hole in the centre of the defence which could be filled by Calum Chambers and Rob Holding.
Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil also look like missing out after their late returns from Euro 2016 over the summer, leaving Wenger to try to get a result with a severely depleted side.
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