Arsenal's Mkhitaryan to miss Europa League final over safety fears

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Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not be part of the squad for the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku on May 29, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The Armenia international's participation in the match had been in doubt due to the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and his native country.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery says he respects Mkhitaryan's decision, but host country Azerbaijan says such fears are unfounded.

"There is no reason whatsoever to put in question the seriousness of these guarantees provided by Azerbaijan. Over the past decade a large number of Armenian athletes have taken part in various international sports events in Azerbaijan without any issues," the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan said.

Mkhitaryan has made 39 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions this season, scoring six goals. The 30-year-old won the Europa League crown with Manchester United in 2017.

Screenshot from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Instagram

"It's the kind of game that doesn't come along very often for us players and I must admit, it hurts me a lot to miss it," he wrote on Instagram.

"I will be cheering my teammates on! Let's bring it home," he added.

Mkhitaryan has played 11 games during Arsenal's Europa League campaign this season and his absence will be a blow for the club, who need to lift the trophy in Baku in order to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"He's a big miss for us of course, because he is a really important player," Arsenal defender Stephan Lichtsteiner added.

(With input from AFP and Reuters)