Why Martin Zubimendi was training away from Arsenal team-mates after Mikel Arteta decision

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Martin Zubimendi was notably absent from Arsenal's training session on Tuesday morning as Mikel Arteta welcomed his squad back after a few days off. The Gunners' boss had given his team a well-deserved break following their narrow victory over Wolves .

Zubimendi, who was substituted in the second half against the Premier League's bottom side, was nowhere to be seen during the open training session for broadcasters, reports Football London .

It's believed that Zubimendi was working indoors as part of a load management strategy. Given that he's one of the most frequently used players in the squad, having started 15 of his 16 Premier League games and five of six in the Champions League , and considering Ben White's recent hamstring injury after starting four games in 10 days, it's understandable that the club is taking precautions.

Neither Kai Havertz nor Gabriel Magalhaes were seen with the group as they, along with Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera, continued their recovery from injuries.

This marks the first midweek break from action that Arsenal have had since the week beginning August 25. Three international breaks have occurred during this period, but most of the squad were involved with their respective national teams, playing up to two matches during these weeks. Some, like Piero Hincapie, even travelled considerable distances.

Arsenal's next fixture will see them head to Everton , aiming to improve their away record which currently shows no wins in the league in three matches. Their last triumph on the road was on November 1 at Burnley .

They could also find themselves in second place on the table at kick-off, if Manchester City manage to defeat West Ham at the Etihad Stadium earlier on Saturday afternoon.

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White is the latest Arsenal player to pick up an injury, with Arteta saying it appeared to be a hamstring issue. He was replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the 31st minute against Wolves .

"Obviously, he hasn't played a lot of minutes because of the previous knee issue that he had, then the moment he started to get some momentum, he had to play a lot because we didn't have any other solution," Arteta explained.

"We had to even risk Wilo (Saliba) today because probably it wasn't their best call to play 90 minutes because we were buying tickets for another injury, but we don't have anybody else, but yeah that's bad news for sure."

Arsenal's late winner ensured their maintained their two-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. And Arteta knows that squad management will be key to his side's chances of ending their 22-year wait for the league title.

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