Coach clarifies ‘commotion’ over Arsenal star with fresh remark aimed at Arteta
Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has insisted that he did not mean to question Arsenal’s training methods with his comments about Reiss Nelson.
Nelson left Arsenal on loan in the summer transfer window in the search for more game time. However, he has not had the best start to life in the Netherlands. Indeed, he has suffered an injury.
Slot revealed earlier this week that the winger had encountered a injury due to “overuse”.
He added that Nelson was not used to the training intensity in his side’s sessions, compared to those at Arsenal.
Speaking to ESPN (via Sport Witness), Slot clarified his comments. In doing so, he claimed that the injury came as a result of a lack of match action, amid Nelson’s struggles under Mikel Arteta.
The player has struggled to find game time under his manager since the Spaniard took charge in December 2019. In fact, he only played 472 Premier League minutes between then and the end of the 2019/20 season. Last term, Nelson only played 69 top-flight minutes.
“I’m glad you asked because I saw it caused some commotion,” Slot said when asked about his earlier comments.
“With that, I’m not saying anything about how Arsenal train. I’m saying something about how substitute player Reiss Nelson, who didn’t have much of a future there, trained.
“He was very often in the team that had to imitate the opponent. He didn’t actually play any matches.
“Now he is with a team that is busy and where he is seen as a player who has to play a lot, so that combination has caused him to have some overload problems.”
Nelson has had injury problems including with his knee and hamstring. However, Arteta said in May that it is “his fault” the forward has not played regularly.
Arteta admits difficult Nelson situation
The manager said: “With Reiss, I would like to give him more.
“He’s a boy who tries really hard, he trains every day, he wants to do extra all the time.
“It’s very difficult at the moment with the players we have to be able to fit him in.
“I feel sorry that we don’t have other competitions to use him in, because he deserves more. He doesn’t play more and that’s my fault.”
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