Arteta Fears Fitness Woes Could Undermine Arsenal's Silverware Quest
Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.
Latest Squad News
Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.
There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.
"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."
Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.
Extended Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the manager.
Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.
Transfer Plans
Even after a major summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to dip into the January transfer market.
"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."
Looking Ahead
The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.
Attention now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually guarantee a top-eight finish. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth successive European match.
"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli said. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."
