Unai Emery has admitted that Nicolas Pepe has a problem but that he doesn’t know what it is in one of the weirder updates from the Spaniard.

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Nicolas Pepe takes on Kieran Tierney of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at London Colney on September 12, 2019 in St Albans, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 12: Nicolas Pepe takes on Kieran Tierney of Arsenal during the Arsenal Training Session at London Colney on September 12, 2019 in St Albans, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Nicolas Pepe returned home from international duty early and while there were initial fears that he was injured, this was downplayed as him merely needing to work on his fitness.

Given that players usually improve their fitness by playing, an international match would seem to be ideal. Alas, he returned to Arsenal but all was well, or so we were told.

Speaking to the press ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Watford on Sunday, Emery told reporters, however, “We decided to keep him here with us and we were working with him to have him ready for Sunday and we think he will be.

“It is a small problem. Where is it? I don’t know exactly.”

190914 daily mirror emery pepe
Daily Mirror 14 September 2019

You would expect the head coach to know every tweak that his players complain of so for him to not know is baffling.

“We need people to be patient with him and also help him to be comfortable,” Emery added.

“As with Dani Ceballos, each training session and match is very important to be ready and to achieve their performance. I really think the progress is going perfectly.”