Arteta Fears Injury Crisis Could Undermine Arsenal's Trophy Quest

Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.

Fresh Team News

Star player Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

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 ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really dangerous circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive list of injuries for the club. Since the start of last campaign, they have suffered 95 injuries, 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 still recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training methods were to blame, pointing to a lack of time for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 games in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant summer investment exceeding £250 million, Arteta insisted the team is not planning to dip into the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a question of weeks," he commented. "We know how important those weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 matches at the hands of Aston Villa, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth group-stage win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight successive European match.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to keep going," Martinelli stated. "This isn't like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we remain united."