Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be using the international break to study and prepare for crunch clashes with Liverpool in the Premier League as well as progressing in the Europa League.

A number of Gunners players will now head off to represent their countries as most nations attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup but the boss will be working with the players not going away at the training ground still.

The Spaniard will also be watching videos, analysing recent games, and their upcoming opponents as they return from the break with a home match against the reigning champions before then facing Slavia Prague in the quarter-finals.

“The next step is that they go on international, and I will analyse the game and start to focus on Liverpool and the Europa League, to start to prepare for those games so that when everyone is back, we are ready to go.

“We still have some players here, we still have to train them in the best possible way and then we go to the next match.”

The former Everton midfielder Arteta was keen to praise young loan star Martin Odegaard who is fast becoming a leader at the Emirates Stadium outfit.

“He's been showing that, I think, from week one. When he steps onto that pitch, he always wants the ball. He commands the pressing and he's been really influential.

“I think we are all happily surprised because he looks shy and humble but when he steps on that pitch, he is a real character. He loves to play football.”

He added: “I love talented and creative players that all the time are willing to take that ball and make things happen, that are mobile and also hard-working. He is one of them.

“We have some others with different qualities but it's true that Martin is now giving us a different level on certain things that we didn't have.”