Mikel Arteta Warns Injury Woes Could Hinder The Gunners' Silverware Quest
Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.
Latest Squad News
Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.
There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.
"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous circle."
Dowman's issue is the latest in a long list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.
Extended Absences
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the boss.
Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.
Recruitment Plans
Despite a major summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely looking to dip into the January recruitment market.
"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.
Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group win would virtually guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.
"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."
