English Premier League side Arsenal has announced that Per Mertesacker will assist interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg for the short term. Mertesacker serves the club as the Academy director.
Ljungberg was appointed to the role following the dismissal of Unai Emery after 18 months in charge. Mertesacker will join Ljungberg in the dugout at Carrow Road for the Premier League trip to face Norwich on Sunday.
📰 @ArsenalAcademy manager Per Mertesacker will be supporting interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg in the short-term.
Per will be in the dugout at Carrow Road tomorrow.#NORARS pic.twitter.com/rvWJRd2pDG
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2019
The German World Cup winner made 221 appearances for Arsenal between 2011-18, before he retired at the end of the 2017-18 season. Arsenal is currently eight points adrift in the top four race and has gone 7 matches without victory.
The Gunners could be without Spanish defender Hector Bellerin while David Luiz is also doubtful for the trip to face Norwich. Dani Ceballos remains out until mid-December with an ankle injury.
Ahead of the match, Freddie Ljungberg, who won the league unbeaten in 2004, insisted is taking it game by game at the moment, starting with Sunday’s match.
“I’m trying to concentrate on the game tomorrow. We’ll try to win that as hard as we can and if there are a few other games, we’ll see,” the Swede said.
Arsenal host Brighton on Thursday before a London derby away to Westham at the London Stadium.