Arteta Fears Injury Crisis Could Undermine The Gunners' Silverware Hunt
Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.
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Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.
There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.
"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really dangerous circle."
Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of injuries for the club. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.
Extended Absences
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until 2025.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.
Arteta rejected the idea that practice intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.
Transfer Strategy
Despite a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to dip into the winter transfer market.
"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The team suffered their first defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two points.
Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage victory would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by finding the net in a fifth successive Champions League fixture.
"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."