Arsenal’s injury crisis poses threats to ambitions, admits Arteta
Mikel Arteta has conceded that Arsenal’s mounting injury situation could undermine his side’s ambitions across multiple competitions this campaign, reports BritPanorama.
Arsenal advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with an emphatic 4-0 victory over League One side Wigan at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. However, the convincing scoreline only masked growing concerns over their increasing casualty list.
The Gunners, currently four points clear at the top of the Premier League, remain in contention for an unprecedented quadruple. Yet, fresh setbacks to key players have left Arteta acknowledging the squad’s vulnerability at a critical juncture of the season.
The injury troubles began even before kick-off when Riccardo Calafiori suffered a warm-up injury, ruling him out of the starting lineup entirely. Ben White later added to Arteta’s woes after being substituted in the second half, while captain Martin Odegaard was absent from the matchday squad due to a knock sustained in the previous league match against Brentford.
The situation in midfield looks particularly bleak. Kai Havertz is expected to be sidelined for at least the rest of February, while Mikel Merino’s season appears over following foot surgery. Arteta remarked on the matter, stating, “Yes. Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders and now it is the midfielders (getting injured).”
Amid these challenges, the Spaniard stressed the importance of regaining player fitness promptly. “We are coping with that. But we need some players back and fit, not only for numbers but different options in relation to the opponents we have, so the quicker they are back the better,” he added.
Arsenal face a demanding week ahead, travelling to Molineux to face Wolves midweek before hosting Tottenham in the north London derby the following weekend. Despite the injury concerns, there were signs of encouragement from Eberechi Eze, the £68 million summer signing from Crystal Palace, who has faced scrutiny over his performances since his arrival.
Arteta expressed satisfaction with Eze’s contributions, noting that creative players need moments to build confidence. “Those players need those moments, and especially when we talk about the creative players, they need to feel that they are producing those moments,” he said. A reminder that in football, injuries can spell disaster, yet opportunities often arise from the chaos.
