Arteta Warns Injury Crisis Could Hinder Arsenal's Trophy Hunt
Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this season is being jeopardized by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.
Latest Squad News
Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still on the sidelines.
There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle problem.
"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly dangerous cycle."
Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.
Long-Term Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.
Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to blame, citing a lack of time for drills. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.
Transfer Plans
Despite a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is unlikely planning to enter the January recruitment market.
"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The team suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.
Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would all but guarantee a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight successive European match.
"We are disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."
