Mikel Arteta Warns Fitness Woes Could Hinder The Gunners' Trophy Quest
Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.
Latest Squad News
Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.
There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.
"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious cycle."
Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of injuries for the club. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the English top flight.
Extended Absences
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to rehabilitate from knee and "needs more time," according to the boss.
Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He emphasized the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.
Transfer Strategy
Despite a significant off-season investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is unlikely looking to enter the January recruitment market.
"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "We know how important those coming weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The squad suffered their initial loss in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the summit of the league to two clear points.
Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group victory would all but secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European fixture.
"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "It's not like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."