Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits he's used the coronavirus suspension to get to know his players.

Arteta says he's been using the time to speak with the players individually about things beyond football.

He said, "I think this is a good possibility when everybody is a little bit more hurt and more open about what's going on. To get into them a little bit, to understand how their families are, what they're doing to take care of them and their relatives. How they feel at the club, how they feel with the team-mates.

"I want them to feel close to me, they can trust me, they can tell me their feelings.

"We have a lot of people that live on their own, people that have families away. They need to feel protected in a different country. We've been trying to do that, not just myself but the staff or the senior people at the club."