Five Arsenal stars, one notable omission! Mikel Arteta reacts to Tuchel's England squad as Ben White returns and Noni Madueke misses out

Mikel Arteta has offered his thoughts on the latest England squad announcement, which sees a significant Arsenal presence in Thomas Tuchel’s plans. The Gunners boss reflected on the high-profile return of Ben White and the continued rise of several young stars at the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta has hailed the "desperate" hunger for improvement shown by Declan Rice following the midfielder's inclusion in the latest England squad. Rice has been a standout performer for the Gunners this term, recording five Premier League assists - the highest in the division - and a Champions League goal across 14 appearances.

Discussing the midfielder's recent development, Arteta highlighted the mental shift that has taken Rice to a new level. "The mentality to go out and win football matches and to add another level to his game, another kind of threat and be much more unpredictable, and we've been working a lot on that," The Spaniard said at a press conference.

Arsenal manager added: "He's desperate to improve every part of his game, and we need to do that while we maintain so many incredible things that he's already done, but he's on the right trajectory."

Arteta has been vocal about refusing to pigeonhole Rice into a single role, preferring to utilize his vast range of attributes. The 27-year-old has shown he can dictate play from deep, drive forward in transition, or influence the game in the final third. Arteta explained that the player's versatility is a unique asset: "I think we cannot restrict his qualities and his capacities. He can drop back, he can progress play. He can drop back, he can carry the ball, he can be incredible in transition. He can win duels. He can produce passes by arriving, by playing far, by crossing the ball left or right, it doesn't matter. On set pieces, he's got a lot to offer. His shooting ability from long range as well is something that we need to use more. He has the capacity to do it. So, continue to go to play because there's still so much to gain."

However, the news isn't entirely positive for the North London side, as Arteta provides an injury update on Bukayo Saka, confirming the star winger will be sidelined for a significant period. This setback places even more responsibility on the five Arsenal players heading to the England camp, including Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Eberechi Eze.

One of the biggest talking points of Tuchel's selection was the absence of Noni Madueke. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, the winger was omitted from the Three Lions squad. Arteta, however, believes the player will take the disappointment in his stride and use it as motivation to improve further. When asked about the selection process, Arteta remained respectful of the international manager's authority: "I leave that to Thomas. There were so many options, he needs to make decisions, he's made that one this time and that's it, I leave that completely to him."

During an England squad announcement discussion, Arteta praised the winger's professional attitude. "What he did is he went abroad and he trained," Arteta noted. "That's Noni, and that's his mindset. He wants to get better."

England host Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, 12 November, before travelling to face Spain at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, 15 November. Sitting second in Group C, avoiding defeat against Croatia will secure England's spot in next March's Nations League quarter-finals. Tuchel's squad gather early next week as Jobe and Jude prepare to write the latest chapter in English football's sibling history.