Danny Welbeck will not feature for Arsenal in their FA Cup fifth-round tie with Sutton United on Monday because of concerns over the non-league outfit's artificial pitch.
The England international instead played 70 minutes for the Gunners' Under-23s side at Leicester City on Sunday, a little over 24 hours ahead of the trip to Gander Green Lane.
Supporters reacted angrily to seeing Welbeck feature for the club's development team, but the 26-year-old - recently back from an eight-month layoff - insists that the decision was largely out of his hands due to Sutton's 3G playing surface.
"Glad to get 70 minutes today to build up my match fitness," he wrote on Twitter. "Plastic pitch at Sutton isn't the best idea at the moment."
Welbeck, who scored twice on his first start since returning from injury last month, failed to find the target against Leicester as Arsenal slipped to a 2-1 loss.
Written by
Daniel Lewis
Daniel Lewis
