Arteta Warns Injury Crisis Could Undermine The Gunners' Silverware Quest
Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.
Fresh Team News
Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain unavailable.
There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.
"Training, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious circle."
Dowman's setback is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.
Long-Term Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until 2025.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.
Arteta dismissed the idea that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.
Transfer Plans
Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely looking to enter the January transfer market.
"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he said. "It's clear how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The squad experienced their initial defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.
Attention now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth group win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European fixture.
"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he said. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."
