Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stripped of Arsenal captaincy

Arsenal have confirmed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been stripped of the captain's armband following a disciplinary breach last week.

The 32-year-old was excluded from the squad for Saturday's 3-0 win over Southampton, with manager Mikel Arteta confirming that the omission was due to disciplinary reasons.

Speculation subsequently arose suggesting that Aubameyang could have the captain's armband taken off him, having inherited it from Granit Xhaka after the Swiss midfielder was also stripped of the honour.

Arsenal have now confirmed that Aubameyang is no longer club captain, and that the Gabon international will play no part against West Ham United on Wednesday due to his "latest" breach of club rules.

"Following his latest disciplinary breach last week, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will no longer be our club captain, and will not be considered for selection for Wednesday's match against West Ham United," read a statement on the club's official website.

"We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed. We are fully focused on tomorrow's match."

Aubameyang has scored four goals in 14 Premier League appearances for the Gunners this season, but the last of those came on October 22.

The striker has been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium since his omission, with Barcelona among the clubs thought to be monitoring his situation.