Alex Iwobi has stated that Arsenal will aim to win the Uefa Europa League title for his teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Unai Emery’s men will slug it out with English rivals Chelsea in the final of the European competition in Baku on Wednesday.
Mkhitaryan has pulled out of the encounter as a result of his country’s dispute with the host nation of the final, Azerbaijan.
The 30-year-old former Manchester United player made 11 appearances in the competition this season to help the Gunners advance into the final.
Iwobi says the Armenian midfielder is unhappy to miss the game, but he has vowed that the Gunners will try their best in the game to clinch the trophy.
“He has contributed a lot to help us get to where we are, he is very upset, he has taken a decision, and he cannot go [for the final],” Iwobi told the Guardian.
“We’re going to fight and hopefully win the trophy, not just for us but for him.”
Winning the Europa League trophy will guarantee Arsenal - who finished the Premier League in the fifth place - a spot in the Champions League next season.
Iwobi will hope to make his 51st appearance for the Gunners this season against the Blues at the Bakı Olimpiya Stadionu.
On the international scene, the 23-year-old will be expected to play a part for Nigeria in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, which kicks off on June 21.
The three-time African champions will hope to manoeuvre their way past Group B rivals Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar for a chance to advance into the knockout stage of the competition.
