Mikel Arteta Fears Fitness Woes Could Undermine Arsenal's Trophy Hunt
Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a concerning circle of fitness setbacks and a grueling fixture list.
Latest Squad Update
Star player Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League clash to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.
There was, on a brighter note, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.
"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a truly vicious circle."
Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long 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.
Extended Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel MagalhĂŁes are unlikely to return until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the boss.
Arteta dismissed the idea that practice intensity were to blame, citing a lack of opportunity for drills. He emphasized the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.
Transfer Strategy
Even after a major off-season investment over ÂŁ250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the January recruitment market.
"At the moment we're just concentrating on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he said. "We know how crucial those weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The team experienced their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.
Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League match.
"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he said. "This isn't like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we remain united."
