Arsenal’s visa furore as Mkhitaryan is left at home for Qarabag clash

Arsenal have defended their decision to let Henrikh Mkhitaryan skip their trip to Azerbaijan amid stinging criticism from Qarabag’s boss.

Mkhitaryan has remained in London ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League tie here after the club decided against applying for a visa for him to enter Azerbaijan’s capital.

Diplomatic tensions remain between Azerbaijan and Mkhitaryan’s native Armenia and Qarabag manager Gurban Gurbanov suggested Arsenal were afraid of playing the midfielder in Baku.

‘Arsenal tried to save this player but it is not a matter for us if he is coming or not,’ said Gurbanov.

‘If Henrikh Mkhitaryan would come to Azerbaijan it is not the first time — until now a lot of Armenian sportsmen came to Azerbaijan but it is the choice of Arsenal that they didn’t send him. Arsenal may be afraid that in front of 60,000 Azerbaijani fans, Mkhitaryan has some pressure and that is why they didn’t send Mkhitaryan.’

In 2015, Mkhitaryan did not travel to Azerbaijan to face Gabala while with Borussia Dortmund despite being told by UEFA that he would get a visa.

Arsenal are adamant it was their decision not to take Mkhitaryan, with boss Unai Emery saying: ‘He cannot travel here. My work is football. I respect each person, I respect each culture, I respect each country. But I don’t know each situation in every country.’

Aaron Ramsey is with his heavily pregnant wife and misses the trip, as does Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang through illness.