Mikel Arteta has admitted it’s not easy for Aaron Ramsdale to be on the sidelines, particularly with Euro 2024 coming up and his England place on the line.

After being a regular starter for a number of Premier League sides over the last few years, Aaron Ramsdale has found himself acting as a backup goalkeeper for the last month or so.

David Raya’s loan move from Brentford has seen the Spaniard almost immediately step into the number-one role in Mikel Arteta’s side, with Ramsdale only playing in the League Cup between the September and October international breaks.

Arteta admits that can’t be an easy situation for the goalkeeper.

“It’s not easy for any player when he’s not playing as much as he would like to,” Arteta said in Friday’s press conference.

“But the only way to do it is to work harder, to show the passion that you have for the game, to contribute to the team in a different way.

“And when you get an opportunity, do your best and try to help the team to win the game.”

Speaking to the media over the international break, Ramsdale had already himself admitted his club minutes are a worry for his England chances.

“Yeah, of course,” Ramsdale said. “It is the first time I have found myself in this situation. The [England] manager is brilliant, he trusts the players he’s worked with before.

“Kalvin [Phillips] and Harry [Maguire] haven’t played the most amount of minutes, but when they step up for England and are given the opportunity, they perform.

“So, if that’s the case for myself, and I do get shown that trust to play another game if I haven’t played for my club, then I will have to repay him.

“But, of course, I want to get back into my club team and be able to give [Southgate] a headache, rather than just have Jordan as the No1 and me fall by the wayside.”

England have already topped their Euro 2024 qualification group, leading to some optimism that Gareth Southgate could rotate his team for the final two games against Malta and North Macedonia.

“They are two [England] games which I could target,” Ramsdale added.

“But first and foremost I’ve got to give [Southgate] a decision and be available to be picked, and that is by getting back into my club team. If that’s not the case, then we’ll see in three or four weeks’ time.”