This was evident in the build-up to Arsenal's weekend showdown against Liverpool. Bukayo Saka had been absent from the Gunners' previous two games due to a hamstring injury sustained while on England duty.
Despite not being spotted during Arsenal's final training session before the Reds' visit, Saka not only started the game, but also scored the opening goal, giving Liverpool's left-back Andy Robertson a challenging day. Liverpool were taken by surprise by Saka's inclusion in the starting line-up, but Arteta has no regrets about keeping his rivals in the dark about his squad's status - and the Spaniard will continue to do so.
"For me, I would tell you everything, but that has consequences. I need to be very careful because sometimes I can tell you a player is going to be a few weeks, but is a few months," Arteta said. "Sometimes I don't know if a player is going to be fit in two days' time or when the press conference is.
"When I know, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to say; 'He's not fit' - and play him, I would never do that.
Arteta has also revealed that he intentionally keeps his team's injury updates vague to keep opponents guessing. "But if I am certain, or I don't want to tell you, I will keep you guessing, this is my job.
"But as well to keep all these guys, everyone alert as well, that's also important. I don't want to make things easy for anybody.
"The opponent has to work and think, and prepare, and make sure they do their homework like I have to. I wish I knew their starting XI, who is on the bench, but I don't and it is our job to guess and do the work we have to do."
According to reports, Arteta has been trying to maintain secrecy around his title-chasing side's injuries in order to gain a 'competitive edge'. While Arteta's not trying to deceive anyone, coaching staffs at Premier League some of their Premier League rivals have, reportedly, stopped paying attention to his press conferences due to the tactics.
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