Emery swerves talk on Xhaka’s Arsenal captaincy

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has refused to confirm whether or not Granit Xhaka will remain club captain. The Swiss midfielder reacted angrily towards supporters when he was substituted during the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.
When asked if a decision had been made on the captaincy, Emery said: “At the moment I am not speaking and I don’t want to think about that.”
Emery then added: “It is not easy for him and for the team. He is now devastated, sad, we spoke yesterday and Sunday night also and this morning. He trained normally with the group but he is devastated and sad about the situation.”
Xhaka is not in Arsenal’s squad for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool but Emery suggested that was not going to be the case as he shuffles his pack for cup competition.
Emery revealed immediately after the incident that Xhaka was in the wrong and should apologise to the fans for his outburst.
And speaking in his Tuesday afternoon press conference ahead of the League Cup game at Anfield, the Spanish tactician reiterated that the 27-year-old should do that.
However, Emery did attempt to offer some mitigation for Xhaka as he claimed the player is not feeling the love from the supporters, while insisting that he is committed to the cause.
With Xhaka missing the cup tie at Liverpool, it will be interesting to see if he returns to the fold for the Premier League clash against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
And if he is involved in the squad, Emery must decide if he will again hand him the captain’s armband or give it to a team-mate.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding have all been mentioned as possible successors over the past 48 hours.