Mikel Arteta has urged Dani Ceballos to win back his place in the Arsenal starting XI by proving his worth.
Ceballos joined the Gunners from Real Madrid on loan at the start of the season and started his Arsenal career well with two good performances in his first two outings.
However, he struggled for form and also got injured when Arteta became manager, he has, however, struggled to break into the first team under the Spaniard now that he is fit.
He has been linked with a move to Spain this month with several Spanish sides looking to get him in.
Ceballos is keen to make Spain’s squad for Euro 2020 and he believes he needs to play more to make the cut.
Mikel Arteta was asked about the player’s links with other teams and he said the player has to work to get back in the team.
“I had a conversation with Dani. When I joined the club he wasn’t here. He was in Madrid because he was doing his rehab for over a month with the team that owns him,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“I haven’t seen much of him because he only trained with us for a week or 10 days.
“It’s very early to assess what I can or cannot do with him. I heard about all those things but I have nothing to comment.
“He needs to get back to fitness and fight for his place like any other player. After that we will make a selection that is fair with what I see on the pitch.”
It is a shame that, to date, it has not worked out with Ceballos, he is clearly talented, however, he needs to do it on a consistent basis. If he does that then he will nail down a regular spot and increase his chances of making the Spain squad for the Euro’s.
The ball is clearly in his court.