Arteta Fears Fitness Crisis Could Undermine Arsenal's Trophy Quest
Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for titles this season is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a grueling fixture list.
Fresh Team News
Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.
There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up 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 knock-on effect to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."
Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive series of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.
Long-Term Absences
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "needs more time," according to the manager.
Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.
Recruitment Strategy
Even after a major summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the winter transfer market.
"At the moment we're just focusing on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The team experienced their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.
Focus now shifts to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group win would all but guarantee a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European match.
"The team is frustrated with the result, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."
