Martin Odegaard will not be captain for Arsenal as they travel to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City this Saturday, it has been revealed, with his usual duties instead being handed to summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Gunners head to the midlands knowing that a win would take them five points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Bournemouth later in the day, and would allow them to take a five-point gap for definite should they beat Everton on Wednesday.
To that end, Mikel Arteta has named a strong side, with only one change from the XI which beat Aston Villa in injury time last Saturday as Leandro Trossard looks set to lead the line with Eddie Nketiah consigned to the substitutes bench.
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
🧱 Saliba at the back
💪 Xhaka in midfield
🔙 Martinelli returns✊ Let’s do this, Gunners! pic.twitter.com/NN3MlxnbB3
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 25, 2023
Much attention, however, was drawn to the captain of the side, with Zinchenko listed as the man to lead his side out as opposed to regular skipper Martin Odegaard or former skipper Granit Xhaka.
And, as Arsenal later revealed, this was a gesture ‘as a mark of respect and love on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine’, with the war having begun just over a year ago.
Further details revealed that it was the suggestion of Odegaard himself to make the gesture, and though there is likely to be very little actual change on the pitch, it is a mark of Zinchenko’s high standing within his new club that the decision was made at all.
