Gabby Agbonlahor, a former Aston Villa and England forward, has called for strong action against Premier League players who withdraw from national team duty. His demand follows the March FIFA international break, during which 23 players from 20 Premier League clubs pulled out of their national squads. Notably, nearly one-half of these withdrawals were Arsenal players.

A total of 11 Arsenal players did not serve their national teams during this period. Initially, after Arsenal's 0-2 loss to Man City in the League Cup final, center-backs William Saliba (France) and Gabriel Magalhaes (Brazil) were exempted from their call-ups. They were followed by forward Eberechi Eze (England), Martin Odegaard (Norway), Jurrien Timber (Netherlands), and Leandro Trossard (Belgium). After the national teams had assembled, five more Arsenal players withdrew: the England trio of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke, along with Martin Zubimendi (Spain) and Piero Hincapie (Uruguay).

Agbonlahor expressed outrage over this trend, particularly noting that Saka, Rice, Hincapie, Gabriel, Saliba, Trossard, and Zubimendi all played in the League Cup final but subsequently withdrew from their national teams. He argued that these players showed no issues during the club match. "I have no problem with Madueke. He received a strong tackle and sustained an injury after the match against Uruguay," Agbonlahor told talkSPORT. "But players like Hincapie, Saka, Rice, Gabriel, Saliba, Trossard, Zubimendi had no problem playing Man City. I do not think that is right."

Agbonlahor proposed a new regulation for the Premier League to address this issue. "If I could make decisions in the Premier League, I would introduce a new rule: skipping national team duty will result in a suspension for the next match," he stated. "I am sure players would stop withdrawing." He also urged England captain Harry Kane to speak with his teammates to end the constant withdrawals, emphasizing the honor of playing for one's country. "I understand Mikel Arteta is doing everything to win titles, but I do not support players abandoning their national teams," Agbonlahor added.

In response to the controversy, England coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the doubts surrounding the Arsenal players' withdrawals. However, regarding Rice and Saka, the German coach affirmed their integrity with the coaching and medical staff. He stressed that both players were eager to participate in the friendly match against Japan on 31/3, but medical assessments indicated the risk of worsening their injuries was too high.

According to FIFA regulations, players must report when called up to their national teams. National teams can request independent medical examinations to confirm injuries and reach agreements with clubs regarding minor injury cases. While there has been much debate surrounding the Arsenal players, the BBC reported that each player had a valid reason and underwent medical evaluation. Despite some skepticism, excluding Viktor Gyokeres, who remained with the Sweden squad, the other nine Arsenal players who withdrew were among the top 10 for minutes played this season, excluding goalkeepers.

Arsenal currently remains in contention for three other titles this season. They are 9 points ahead of Man City in the Premier League, will face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinals, and Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals.