Jorginho was ‘not feeling good’ during the first half of Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday, so Mikel Arteta replaced him at half-time.
The former Partenopei midfielder was unexpectedly taken off during the break at The Emirates with Arsenal 2-0 up courtesy of goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Thomas Partey came on in place of Jorginho after the interval, who had been struggling during the early phases of the game.
Arteta explained [via Football-London]: “We started the game with some frustration and not really understanding what we had to do and allowed them to run in certain transitions. But after 25 minutes we started to get much better and the timing of the two goals was key.
“The team grew especially with Thomas (Partey) as Jorginho was not feeling good today.”
It is unclear at this point whether Jorginho was suffering from an illness or a minor injury complaint.
The 31-year-old swapped Chelsea for Arsenal on the deadline day of the January transfer window in a deal in the region of €13m.
His current deal ties him to the Emirates until the end of 2023-24 with the option of a further year.
Upon signing for the Gunners, Jorginho expressed his excitement at the prospect of working with Arteta: “He was a big influence because I know that he tried a few times to get me before and it didn’t happen due to other reasons, not because of my wishes. So of course, he had a big influence.”
“I’m very excited about this new challenge, and I just can’t wait to be on the pitch, to be honest! Everything has happened so fast,” he continued.
“It’s an important shirt. It’s an amazing club, a big one, and I’m really excited and happy to be here.”