Arsenal are investigating whether captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has breached the club’s strict Covid-19 protocols.
There are suggestions that the 31-year-old, who scored a hat-trick as the Gunners beat Leeds United 4-2 on Sunday , may have broken lockdown rules and the club’s bio secure bubble.
Gunners chiefs are planning talks with the forward after footage of him getting a new tattoo appeared on social media.
What happened?
Aubameyang was filmed getting his new tattoo on the Instagram account of Spanish tattoo artist Alejandro Nicolas Bernal.
Neither Aubameyang or Bernal were wearing masks during the inking, which saw the Arsenal forward get the tattoo on his hand.
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Current UK Government regulations state that all mobile and static tattoo parlours must remain closed during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
What have Arsenal said?
Arsenal have stated that they plan to sit down with Aubameyang to determine exactly what has gone on before deciding whether any further action is necessary.
A statement from the club said: “We will speak to the player about this matter and establish what has taken place.”
So what happens next?
Arsenal want to determine exactly when Aubameyang got the new tattoo, as that currently remains unclear.
No further action will be taken until the club ascertain for certain whether any rules have been broken and their own strict bio secure bubble has been breached.
The Gunners skipper missed games against Southampton and Manchester United before returning to the squad.
Speaking after he scored a hat-trick against Leeds on Sunday , he thanked the club and the fans for the support they had given him while he was away.
“It's been a tough time for me but now it's time to get my smile back, to win games and score goals,” he said.
“Everyone has given me a lot of love. I'm really proud to be a part of this family, so I have to say thank you to everyone at the club, and the fans as well because I received a lot of messages.
“I’m really happy and these goals are for them.”
