Mikel Arteta says he is trying to use the coronavirus shutdown to strengthen his bond with his Arsenal players.
The Gunners boss was the first major Premier League figure to be confirmed as having the disease when he tested positive last month, leading first to the meeting with Manchester City being postponed and eventually to the top flight being suspended.
Arteta has since fully recovered but all sport around the country has gone into complete shutdown, presenting the Spaniard with an unprecedented challenge less than six months into his managerial career.
Having taken over from the sacked Unai Emery in December, Arteta did not have the benefit of a preseason to get to know his squad, but despite social distancing measures, believes now is the ideal time to do so.
“I was worried about the mental side, that disconnection with football,” he told BT Sport. “I’ve been trying to give them work and get to know them better as well.
“I think this is a good possibility, when everybody is a bit hurt and more open about what’s going on, to get into them a little bit.
“To understand how their families are, what they’re doing to take care of them, their relatives. How they feel at the club, how they feel with their teammates. I want them to feel close with me.
“I want them to feel close to me, that they can trust me, that they can tell me their feelings. We have a lot of people that live on their own, people that have family away. They need to feel protected a little bit, they’re in a different country, and we’ve been trying to do that.”
