Arsenal's manager has voiced fears that his squad's pursuit for titles this campaign is being threatened by a concerning cycle of fitness setbacks and a relentless schedule.
Fresh Squad News
Star player Declan Rice missed the midweek trip to face Club Brugge due to illness. Meanwhile, forward Leandro Trossard and center-back William Saliba are still on the sidelines.
There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian forward registered to their European squad. He comes in for the hurt youngster Max Dowman, who suffered an foot injury.
"Practice, 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 consequence to that and it's a really dangerous circle."
Dowman's issue is the most recent in a long list of injuries for the North London side. Since the start of last season, they have suffered 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.
Long-Term Absentees
- Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhães are unlikely to return until the new year.
- Midfielder Kai Havertz continues to recover from knee and "requires more time," as stated by the manager.
Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to blame, pointing to a lack of opportunity for drills. He highlighted the pressure on available players, some of whom have played over 150 matches in two years.
Transfer Strategy
Even after a significant off-season spend over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely planning to enter the January recruitment market.
"At the moment we're just concentrating on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a question of weeks," he said. "We know how important those coming weeks are going to be."
Next Challenge
The team suffered their initial defeat in 18 games at the weekend, cutting their advantage at the top of the Premier League to two clear points.
Focus now shifts to the Champions League, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would virtually secure a top-eight place. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could make a club record by finding the net in a fifth consecutive Champions League match.
"The team is disappointed with the outcome, but we have to move forward," Martinelli stated. "It's not like all is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."
