Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has taken a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s title-winning book during the international break.

The Gunners are having a brilliant season in the Premier Leaguewith Arteta’s men currently leading the title race by nine points, although second-placed Manchester City have a game in hand and will play Arsenalat the Etihad Stadium next month.

Following their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Man City in the Carabao Cup finalin their last match, Arsenal have a big couple of months ahead with Arteta’s side still in the Champions League and FA Cup.

And Arteta will no doubt have been pleased to see a number of his key players opt against playing for their countries over the international break.

Former Man Utd defender Ferdinand reckons Arteta will have threatened his players with a fine if they represented their countries in friendly matches over the current international break.

Ferdinand told his YouTube channel: “Mikel Arteta has worked his magic and told them if anyone plays or anyone goes you’re getting fined and they’ve all dropped out.”

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When asked if Arsenal fans should be worried by a number of recent injuries, Ferdinand added: “No. They’ll all be available for selection, bar one or two.

“It’s definitely the manager saying listen this is the first win we could get in terms of the Premier League, we have to be ready, we need your energy, this is a friendly for your national team.

“I’ve heard this speech from Sir Alex Ferguson so I understand it. The guys have just gone this is our priority we need to win the league.”

And Ferdinand has revealed that legendary Man Utd manager Ferguson used to regularly pressure players into putting club before country.

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Ferdinand continued: “The game’s finished we’ve won the game before we go away with our national team and he’ll be in there going ‘we’ve got a big game in 10 days and that’s just a friendly, I don’t want to see anyone playing more than 45 minutes. I don’t care what you have to do to get out of it you can’t play more than 45’.

“There’d be other players like Wazza and that when they’ve been playing so many games, the matchwinners who need protecting a bit more.

“Cristiano as well, players like that, he’d be going to them privately you’ve got to pull out of this one, we can’t have you getting injured.

“He’s protecting his interest which is Manchester United and he’s Scottish so he’s not got one care in the world for England.”