Mikel Arteta urges Premier League to expand 20-man matchday squads for player welfare

Arsenal have submitted a formal request to the Premier League asking for larger matchday squads, a change that would reduce the number of registered players left out of each game. Mikel Arteta, the club’s manager, believes the current cap of 20 players damages the emotional wellbeing of his squad and leaves English teams with fewer options than their European rivals. The request comes as the football calendar continues to expand across the continent.

What Arsenal want from the Premier League

Under current rules, top-flight clubs in England can name 20 players for each match, including at least three homegrown players. The north London club wants that number raised and points to other major leagues as the standard. In Spain’s La Liga, clubs can select 23 players per game, while Italy’s Serie A allows 25. For Arteta, there is no reason why English teams should work with smaller matchday squads than their continental counterparts.

I’ve been begging the Premier League if we can extend those numbers just for the welfare of the players, which is the most important thing, because I think every squad needs more than 20 outfield players, ideally, to sustain the level of demand in international games that we have.

Five registered players miss out every matchday

Premier League clubs can register up to 25 senior players, those over the age of 21, for the entire season. At least eight of them must meet homegrown requirements. With matchday squads capped at 20 names, five registered senior players are left out of every game.

The Spanish coach has spoken about how difficult it is to tell a player he will not be involved. That conversation, he says, not only damages the player’s confidence but can also affect his market value and his sense of belonging within the group.

Player welfare at the centre of the debate

Arteta places the focus on the players themselves. In his view, no professional footballer would rather stay at home on matchday. If asked, he argues, almost every player would raise their hand to travel and be part of the squad, because that is how they compete and fulfil themselves.

Otherwise you have to tell somebody: ‘You are not even part of this matchday,’ and that’s really tough. And it doesn’t help anybody. It doesn’t help the club. It doesn’t help the valuation of the player. It doesn’t help the player feel part of something. It’s a real issue that has a really simple solution.

The manager’s position is not an isolated one. Arteta says he has researched what the biggest European clubs do and concluded that Arsenal are no different from the rest. Around 90% of major teams on the continent, he claims, have more players available per matchday than English clubs.

Arsenal return from a season packed with fixtures

The physical demands placed on Arsenal over the past year support the manager’s case. The team won the Premier League and also reached the finals of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup. They made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as well. That workload forced regular rotation and exposed how tight matchday squads can become.

Arsenal’s request comes before a key fixture against Aston Villa, another test of the squad’s depth. Until the Premier League changes the rule, the coaching staff will have to manage carefully the players who are left out of the list each week.

How European leagues compare

• Premier League: 20 players per matchday squad
• La Liga: 23 players per matchday squad
• Serie A: 25 players per matchday squad

The difference in criteria between major European competitions is one of Arteta’s most repeated arguments. While Italy and Spain give their coaches more room, England keeps a smaller number despite having one of the most congested calendars. Two domestic cups, the league and European competitions all increase the strain on a squad that must share minutes across many fronts.

What happens if the Premier League keeps the rule

For now, the competition has not announced any change. Arteta knows that, until a decision is made, Arsenal will have to adapt to the current rules. His job, he says, is to stay close to the players, explain every situation honestly and make sure everyone feels important inside the dressing room.