Mikel Arteta Warns Fitness Woes Could Hinder The Gunners' Silverware Hunt

Arsenal's manager has expressed concern that his squad's chase for honors this campaign is being threatened by a worrying circle of injuries and a grueling schedule.

Latest Squad News

Key midfielder Declan Rice missed the midweek clash to Belgium due to illness. In addition, attacker Leandro Trossard and defender William Saliba are still unavailable.

There was, on a brighter note, better news regarding Gabriel Jesus, with the South American forward added to their Champions League squad. He replaces the hurt 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 missing players, you are placing demands on other players more, there's a consequence to that and it's a really vicious cycle."

Dowman's setback is the latest in a extensive list of fitness problems for the North London side. Since the start of last campaign, they have recorded 95 injuries, the second-most total in the Premier League.

Extended Absences

• 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 boss.

Arteta rejected the idea that training intensity were to culprit, pointing to a shortage of time for drills. He highlighted the strain on available players, some of whom have featured over 150 matches in two seasons.

Transfer Strategy

Even after a major off-season investment over £250 million, Arteta stated the club is unlikely looking to dip into the January transfer market.

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

Next Challenge

The squad experienced their first defeat in 18 matches at the weekend, reducing their advantage at the top of the league to two clear points.

Focus now turns to the European stage, where a sixth consecutive group-stage win would virtually secure a knockout phase finish. Forward Gabriel Martinelli could create history by scoring in a fifth straight consecutive European fixture.

"We are frustrated with the result, but we have to keep going," he stated. "It's not like everything is going wrong because we lost one game. So we stick together."