Arteta Fears Injury Woes Could Hinder Arsenal's Trophy Quest

Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his squad's chase for titles this campaign is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice did not travel for the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian striker registered to their Champions League squad. He replaces the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle problem.

"Training, no because we don't have time to train. But clearly the fact that you are without players, you are loading other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really dangerous cycle."

Dowman's setback is the most recent in a long series of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 player absences, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Extended Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to return until 2025.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz still recover from surgery and "needs more time," according to the boss.

Arteta dismissed the suggestion that training methods were to blame, pointing to a shortage of opportunity for sessions. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have played over 150 games in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the team is unlikely looking to dip into the January transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on getting the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of weeks," he commented. "We know how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Looking Ahead

The squad experienced their initial loss in 18 matches at the weekend, cutting their lead at the summit of the Premier League to two points.

Attention now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group victory would all but guarantee a knockout phase place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive Champions League match.

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