Report: Arsenal banish Aubameyang from first-team training until after AFCON

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According to reports from The Telegraph this evening, Arsenal have moved Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang away from first-team training and the striker will remain on his own until the African Cup of Nations in January.

The report from The Telegraph claims that the Arsenal striker is now training alone with the club devising a fitness play for him. This is to ensure he is fit enough to play for Gabon in January in the AFCON. With Gabon having at least three fixtures in the tournament, that means Aubameyang will be away from the first-team until at least the last week of January.

It’s yet another chapter in what is threatening to be a saga akin to that which Mesut Ozil endured at the club. It is clear Mikel Arteta has made his bed when it comes to Aubameyang, and the player must now simply get on with the job.

Arteta had earlier ruled Aubameyang out of contention for this weekend’s clash with Leeds. And now, it seems like the Gabon striker is set for a long road back to even being considered for selection.

TBR’s View: Aubameyang Is Done With Arsenal

There is more to this than the simple disciplinary incident from this week. This seems to be rumbling on and getting worse and worse, which suggests Aubameyang has had more than one misdemeanour.

For Mikel Arteta to take this stance, it’s showing his clout as manager. He is sending a message to the rest of the team that ill-discipline won’t be tolerated. At all.

Surely, then, this means that Aubameyang is now a lost cause at Arsenal. He faces a massively long road back to the first-team, and you’d have to say it seems impossible as things stand.

Arsenal and Arteta, though, will be focused on the games over Christmas. A good win this week against West Ham has given the Gunners a real boost. Aubameyang, then, might well be a forgotten man before long.