Arteta Warns Injury Crisis Could Hinder Arsenal's Silverware Hunt

Mikel Arteta has voiced fears that his team's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a worrying cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.

Fresh Team News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the Champions League trip to Belgium due to illness. Meanwhile, attacker Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba remain on the sidelines.

There was, however, positive news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American striker added to their Champions League squad. He comes in for the injured youngster Max Dowman, who picked up an foot problem.

"Practice, no because we don't have 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 cycle."

Dowman's issue is the latest in a long list of injuries for the club. Since the start of last season, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the English top flight.

Long-Term Absences

• Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are not expected to be back until the new year.
• Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from surgery and "requires more time," according to the manager.

Arteta rejected the suggestion that practice intensity were to culprit, pointing to a lack of time for drills. He highlighted the pressure on fit players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two years.

Recruitment Plans

Despite a significant summer spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the winter transfer market.

"Right now we're just focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of a short time," he commented. "It's clear how important those coming weeks are going to be."

Next Challenge

The team suffered their first loss in 18 games at the hands of Aston Villa, cutting their lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.

Focus now turns to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would all but secure a knockout phase place. Winger Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive Champions League fixture.

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