🔗 Share this article

Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his team's pursuit for honors this campaign is being jeopardized by a worrying circle of injuries and a relentless schedule.

Latest Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain unavailable.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker registered to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Training, no because we lack time to train. But clearly 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 vicious circle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training intensity were to culprit, citing a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two seasons.

Recruitment Plans

Even after a significant summer spend exceeding £250 million, Arteta stated the team is not looking to enter the winter recruitment market.

"At the moment we're just focusing on getting the players back and with luck it will be a question of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how crucial those weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their initial loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their advantage at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth group win would virtually secure a top-eight finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth straight consecutive European match.

"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to move forward," he stated. "This isn't like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."