**Mikel Arteta Sends Encouraging Message to Myles Lewis-Skelly Following England Omission**
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has offered words of encouragement to 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly after the young midfielder was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad. The Spanish tactician urged Lewis-Skelly to take the exclusion in stride and focus on improving his performances moving forward.
Ahead of the Gunners’ Premier League clash against Sunderland on Saturday, November 8, Arteta stressed the importance of providing reassurance to the promising talent.
“When you look at his age, what he’s already done, he’s just remarkable,” Arteta said. “So don’t focus on the one (bad) moment that is happening for you because maybe it happens for the right reason and today you cannot see it.”
Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for Arsenal last season but has found regular game time harder to come by in the 2025-26 season. The English midfielder has played less than 100 minutes across seven Premier League appearances so far.
In total, Lewis-Skelly has featured in 12 games this season but has only started twice — both in the UEFA Champions League against Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid.
Instead of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly and Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence have been called up to the England squad. The Three Lions will face Serbia and Albania during the November international break.
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**Mikel Arteta Praises Former Arsenal Midfielder Granit Xhaka Ahead of Sunderland Clash**
In other news, Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka ahead of Sunderland’s upcoming fixture against the Gunners. Xhaka, who joined Sunderland on a three-year deal earlier this summer, played for Arsenal from 2016 to 2023.
Xhaka was stripped of his captaincy in 2019 under then-manager Unai Emery and appeared close to leaving North London. However, after Arteta’s arrival in December 2019, the Swiss midfielder became a fan favorite before eventually departing for Bayer Leverkusen in 2023.
“When I joined, he was in a special moment of his life and career,” Arteta recalled. “Between all of us, we tried to guide him, give him a different perspective, make him feel loved and valued, and he responded in an incredible way.”
Arteta added, “He made me a better coach. He helped us develop and improve a lot as a team and a club. I will be eternally grateful because I have great memories with him.”
Xhaka-led Sunderland will host Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, November 8.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-maybe-happens-right-reason-mikel-arteta-sends-message-arsenal-star-left-national-team-squad-wc-qualifers