Oleksandr Zinchenko has admitted that losing his place in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup has left him struggling with a “sense of rejection” that’s taken the “stuffing” out of him.
While the Ukraine international concedes the “unbelievable” quality of Myles Lewis-Skelly means the teenager fully deserved to leapfrog him in the left-back pecking order, he says the situation has hurt.
In a new chapter of his updated autobiography _Believe_ (as relayed by [_The Athletic_](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6548948/2025/08/13/arsenal-zinchenko-transfer-playing/)), Zinchenko reflects on the frustration of being overlooked for much of the campaign despite being fully fit.
“I was basically out of the starting XI altogether, bar a few isolated matches,” he writes. “In pure personal terms, it was easily the worst season I ever experienced as a professional.”
He added: “A player who doesn’t play is nothing. It’s one thing when your body lets you down. That can happen. But going from one of the established players of the side to unused sub is much harder to deal with.
“The sense of rejection you feel if your manager no longer believes in you can take the stuffing out of you, even if you’re the most resilient guy on the planet.”
Zinchenko joined Arsenal from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth an initial £32 million and was a key figure in transforming the Gunners into title challengers. However, a persistent calf problem limited his minutes in his second season, prompting Arteta to look for solutions elsewhere. Riccardo Calafiori arrived from Bologna last summer, and Lewis-Skelly’s emergence from the academy has only added to the competition.
Last season, Zinchenko played 789 minutes in all competitions, making just two Premier League starts after Christmas. He was very much a bit-part player.
“Every footballer started playing because they love to play the game. A big part of your life is missing without it,” he writes.
“Imagine this little boy who’s dedicated his entire existence to becoming good at one particular thing and then finds at 28 that he’s essentially no longer needed, that there are others who can do the job for him. It’s not a nice feeling.”
Zinchenko says he’s done everything possible to support Lewis-Skelly and the rest of his teammates during his time out of the side, stressing he must stay professional and acknowledging he’s fortunate to be so well paid even when he’s not being called upon.
It’s no secret Arsenal would be open to moving him on this summer, with AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund both linked. Given his eagerness to get back to enjoying his football, you get the sense he’d be receptive to any serious opportunity that comes his way.
While it’s easy to sympathise with his situation, it’s hardly unique. Just ask Kieran Tierney, whose place he took in the first place – this is football. It’s not personal. It’s cutthroat.