Mikel Arteta Fears Fitness Crisis Could Undermine The Gunners' Trophy Hunt
Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's pursuit for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a grueling schedule.
Latest Team Update
Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.
There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker added to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.
"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a truly vicious circle."
Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the beginning of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.
Long-Term Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel MagalhĆ£es are unlikely to return until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.
Arteta rejected the idea that practice methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.
Transfer Strategy
Even after a major off-season investment exceeding Ā£250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.
"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."
Looking Ahead
The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their lead at the top 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 finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European match.
"The team is frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."
