Mikel Arteta Warns Injury Woes Could Hinder Arsenal's Trophy Quest

Mikel Arteta has expressed concern that his team's chase for titles this season is being jeopardized by a worrying circle 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 sickness. In addition, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.

There was, however, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an ankle injury.

"Practice, no because we lack time to train. But clearly the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more, there's a knock-on effect to that and it's a really vicious circle."

Dowman's issue is the most recent in a extensive list of fitness problems for the club. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 player absences, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Long-Term Absences

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

Arteta rejected the idea that practice methods were to culprit, citing a lack of time for drills. He emphasized the strain on fit players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a significant summer investment over £250 million, Arteta insisted the club is not looking to enter the winter transfer 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 commented. "It's clear how crucial those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first 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 victory would virtually secure a top-eight place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could create history by finding the net in a fifth consecutive European fixture.

"We are frustrated with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going badly because we lost one game. So we stick together."