Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's chase for honors this season is being threatened by a worrying circle of fitness setbacks and a relentless fixture list.
Fresh Team Update
Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the Champions League trip to face Club Brugge due to sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba remain on the sidelines.
There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He replaces the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot injury.
"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 knock-on effect to that and it's a really vicious circle."
Dowman's setback is the latest in a long series of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the beginning of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-highest total in the Premier League.
Long-Term Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to be back until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz still rehabilitate from surgery and "needs more time," as stated by the manager.
Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to culprit, citing a shortage of time for drills. He emphasized the pressure on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two years.
Recruitment Strategy
Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to dip into the January transfer market.
"Right now we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and with luck it will be a matter of weeks," he said. "It's clear how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."
Looking Ahead
The team experienced their first loss in 18 games at the weekend, reducing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two clear points.
Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group victory would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make history by scoring in a fifth straight successive Champions League fixture.
"The team is disappointed with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."
