Arsenal fans have faced uncertainty about the fitness of several key players, but ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with Monaco, Mikel Arteta provided some clarity on the club’s latest injury setbacks.
Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes, both substituted during the 5-2 win over West Ham, are dealing with groin and muscle injuries, respectively. Meanwhile, teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly, an option at left-back, has been sidelined by a foot infection “although it looks better now”.
On Calafiori, Arteta said: “We need a cage there because he wants to go out, train and play. We need to calm him down because he is so willing.
“It is the way he is, the way he plays. It started with the national team with a kick, then he had the knee issue. After that he lost a lot of things. Because of the injuries he had to play more than we wanted. And then he got the issue in his groin.”
As for Gabriel, he revealed: “Big Gabi has not had a muscular injury [before, but] he is playing a lot now, he is travelling, going to Brazil, he is a starter with Brazil.”
Back in November, Arteta labelled the Gunners ongoing fitness problems a “nightmare” and hoped things would improve. For a couple of weeks they did but the latest setback are putting a strain on the squad.
“The knock-on effect of not having one or two players available means it puts more strain and minutes on somebody else,” he explained.
“That’s not a good change because the consequences and load of all the players starts to be too high, much higher than what you want to do, but it is where we are.”
As for the efforts of his medical team, he said no stone has been left unturned in the quest to find out why so many players are struggling.
“We’re doing everything, believe me,” stressed the Spaniard. “Trying to scratch the surface to understand is there anything we can do different, that we can do better, that’s the first thing to do when analysing something.
“But as well, a lot of things they do in the department they do extremely well and continue to do extremely well because at the end, we are all responsible, we want to look after the players and we have to manage the load of the players which has sometimes been a tricky one this season, especially in certain positions.”
With Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu already out due to knee injuries, further concerns linger over Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey, and Jurrien Timber, all of whom missed training yesterday.
While Arteta didn’t disclose specific details about their conditions, the trio’s injury histories — involving calf, hamstring, and knee issues — make their absence less surprising.
Arteta hinted that the issues could open the door for Kieran Tierney to play his first Arsenal match since last season’s substitute appearance in the Community Shield.
The 27-year-old went on to spend the 23/24 campaign on loan at Real Sociedad where he made 26 appearances. He was expected to quit the Emirates before a bad hamstring injury, sustained at the European Championships with Scotland, forced him back into the treatment room.
Fit again, there’s curiosity about how Arteta might reintegrate a player who didn’t fit the mould when the left-back role evolved away from the player’s strengths.
The knock-on effect of not having one or two players available means it puts more strain and minutes on somebody else. That’s not a good change because the consequences and load of all the players starts to be too high, much higher than what you want to do, but it is where we are.
“I would put Kieran more in his strengths,” said Arteta. “If we do what we have to do I would play him in positions, especially in attack, in situations and scenarios and spaces that he is more comfortable with. That’s a learning.
“It is about the player having certain qualities. First is he willing to do it? Does he want to do it, yes or no? The other one: is he capable of doing it and does he understand it?
“When a player has those three ingredients anything can happen. We see that with many other players. But if a player doesn’t really fill it, it is more of a problem and we as coaches we have to find solutions.”
Three weeks out from the transfer window opening, Tierney may have his eyes on a potential loan move. Arteta says January could also provide opportunities to strengthen his squad if injuries continue to cause him a headache.
“The window gives us an opportunity to strengthen the team if we feel that is needed and we feel that we have the capacity to do that as well,” he said.
“We are on it and just have to assess the situation because it is changing every week. At the moment not for the better, but I’m positive that in a few weeks we’re going to be in a better place.”