Mikel Arteta Fears Fitness Woes Could Hinder Arsenal's Silverware Quest
Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.
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Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.
There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an ankle injury.
"Practice, 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 cycle."
Dowman's issue is the latest in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.
Extended Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from knee and "requires more time," according to the boss.
Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice methods were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.
Recruitment Strategy
Even after a major summer investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not planning to dip into the winter recruitment market.
"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."
Looking Ahead
The squad suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.
Attention now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group victory would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by finding the net in a fifth straight successive European match.
"We are disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he stated. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."
