Mikel Arteta Fears Injury Woes Could Hinder The Gunners' Silverware Hunt
Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's pursuit for titles this campaign is being jeopardized by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.
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Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender 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 comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot problem.
"Training, no because we don't have 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 really dangerous circle."
Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.
Long-Term Absences
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the boss.
Arteta rejected the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.
Recruitment Strategy
Despite a significant summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely planning to dip into the January recruitment market.
"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The squad suffered their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.
Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth group victory would virtually guarantee a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create a club record by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match.
"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli said. "This isn't like everything is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."
