Mikel Arteta's decision to leave Raheem Sterling on the bench against Manchester United at the weekend has been called into question by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
Sterling has struggled since making a loan switch to Arsenal last summer. With just 22 appearances in all competitions this season, the 30-year-old's time in north London hit a new low on Sunday as Arteta elected to leave Sterling on the sidelines for the draw against United despite the Gunners being in desperate search of a goal.
The introduction of Kieran Tierney over the ex-Manchester City star, with the tie delicately poised at 1-1, only compounded what's been a torrid move for Sterling so far. However, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker presented a theory that the ex-Chelsea man is suffering from burnout.
The former Leicester City striker asked Shearer and Richards what they made of the England star's conundrum at Arsenal, before referencing Arteta's call to bring on Tierney ahead of him. Shearer admitted that the substitution snub was "damming".
Lineker said: "Yeah, a little, it’s a bit sad. He’s been a brilliant player for club and country for a long time. I wonder the fact that he played so much football at such an early age and brilliant football as well. Maybe that’s taken a toll on him or something, or maybe he’s lacking a bit of confidence or who knows? You know, he’s not ancient, is he?"