Mikel Arteta Wants Dani Ceballos to Make His Arsenal Team Selection 'Difficult'

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has challenged Dani Ceballos to force his way back into the team.

The midfielder, on loan from Real Madrid, has not featured under the new boss having been injured since November.

Per Goal's Charles Watts, Arteta confirmed the 23-year-old is ready to play again:

"I know him really well from Spain. I watched him many, many times. He always wants the ball, he has big personality to play. I like him.

"He is getting much closer to the fitness levels that I expect from him to be competing with his team-mates. Obviously, he had a long-term injury and he had an adaptation to this league.

"But he is a player that can fit our style, and now he needs to make a step forward and make things difficult for me and my selection. Now he is ready to step in."

Ceballos joined the Gunners in the summer on a season-long loan from Real, where he struggled to get on the pitch under Zinedine Zidane.

The Frenchman handed him just 22 appearances in the 2017-18 season. When Zidane returned to Madrid last March, Ceballos featured in only three of their final 11 matches of the season, having played 31 times under Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari.

Ceballos quickly impressed at the Emirates Stadium with an outstanding performance against Burnley on his full debut, in which he set up both goals in a 2-1 win.

Football statistician Dave O'Brien shared the numbers behind his showing, while Football.London's James Benge was in awe:

However, as the team proceeded to struggle, he had difficulty reaching that level again. He last featured on November 2, before a hamstring injury kept him out for the remainder of 2019.

Ceballos has since made the bench in the Gunners' first two matches of 2020, though.

Reach PLC football editor Tom Marshall-Bailey was hoping to see him in Arsenal's 1-0 FA Cup win over Leeds United on Monday:

The Spaniard is a dynamic and creative player who looks to progress the ball up the pitch with impressive dribbling skill, and he works hard to press opponents and regain possession, too.

Arsenal have been crying out for a player in that mould, particularly since Aaron Ramsey left for Juventus last summer, so Ceballos can carve out a place for himself if he can rediscover his best form.