Arsenal head coach understands fury sparked by three players travelling to Dubai

Irish forward Katie McCabe was one of three senior Gunners stars to have spent time away last month for “business” reasons, while members of the Manchester City and Manchester United squads were also found to have flown out to the Middle East.

With several Barclays FA WSL players testing positive upon the players’ return – including one of the Arsenal trio – all but one of last weekend’s scheduled league ties were postponed, including Montemurro’s side’s trip to Aston Villa.

In the wake of fierce criticism from high-profile figures such as Alex Scott and Lianne Sanderson for the actions of members of his squad, the Australian boss emphasised how his club have taken measures to ensure a similar situation never arises again.

“There’s obviously a lot of disappointment about the way things panned out,” said the 51-year-old. “I appreciate the anger it has caused within the footballing world and the greater public.

“We’ve had a good discussion internally, we’ve understood the situation and we’ve dealt with it. In the moment the players probably didn’t think about the consequences, but I guarantee going forward they have understood the impact of their actions and what could have happened.

“We can’t change what did happen, and for me it’s important to make sure these sorts of things don’t happen again in the future. They can’t be tolerated from not only a sporting perspective, but also a global morality perspective as well.

“The players are role models and in the public eye now and we have to keep educating them because the game has grown so quickly from what it was four, five, or six years ago.”

Having last kicked a ball back in December’s 4-0 win over Everton, third-placed Arsenal head to Reading on Sunday for their first piece of 2021 action, with the Royals looking to bounce back from a 5-0 drubbing by Chelsea in the WSL’s only clash last weekend.

A wave of self-isolation has meant Arsenal's preparations for the match have been less than ideal, but with Lia Walti and Noelle Maritz back from injury and available for selection, and the recent re-signing of Anna Patten, Montemurro is feeling optimistic for the remainder of the campaign.

He added: “There’s definitely a lot of excitement in our camp to get playing again. We’ve had limited numbers being able to do the full sessions, but the others who were isolating joined us a little later and are eager to get going.

“To have played a football match before us and be in a training rhythm, Reading are obviously at an advantage. But I believe in my squad and we’ll make sure we’re prepared.

“It’s been a tough year for everyone but there’s a real excitement at the moment because we’re getting the full squad close to where it should be. If we can keep the squad fit and healthy, we’ll look forward to having a good second half of the season.”

Report by Peter White, Sportsbeat