Arsenal have lost key players to injury throughout the season and manager Mikel Arteta is desperate to get to the bottom of the reasons why as they near the finishing line
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during a training session
Mikel Arteta has been frustrated by injuries this season(Image: Getty Images)
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Mikel Arteta has reportedly brought in a close ally to try and get to the bottom of why Arsenal have been so heavily hit by injuries this season. The Gunners have seen key players consigned to the treatment room throughout the campaign, and it could still prove costly in their quest for the Premier League title.
Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber for their crucial game against Fulham on Saturday evening, while captain Martin Odegaard is also a doubt. Unavailability has hampered Arteta's selection throughout the season in their latest attempt to win a first league title in 22 years while also competing on other fronts.
Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino are among those who have been injured for significant periods this season. In fact, of 22 outfield players, only Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly have managed to avoid picking up an injury during the 2025/26 season.
According to Transfermarkt, Arsenal players have missed a total of 262 matches this season cumulatively. Whether it costs them the title or not, Arteta is keen to gain some insight into the issue and has invited Spanish physio Joaquin Acedo to the club to conduct a review.
The Telegraph reports that there is a tension behind the scenes at Arsenal over their injury record. Arteta is a friend of Acedo, who is based in Cadiz, and he has become a regular presence at their London Colney training ground this season, having previously been invited in last season.
The issue is demonstrated by Havertz, who is out with a groin problem, having previously spent four months on the sidelines with a knee injury picked up on the opening day of the season. The German forward, who also needed surgery on a hamstring injury sustained in February 2025 that kept him out for three months, has been restricted to just 20 appearances in total this season.
Asked about Havertz on Friday, Arteta said: "He’s been a huge miss. We're talking about one of the most important attacking players that we have, and he's been out for seven or eight months.
Kai Havertz suffered an injury in the first half
Kai Havertz has been plagued by injuries(Image: Izzy Poles/AMA)
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"He's not been the only one, unfortunately, with long-term injuries and plays that we've missed. The team has shown an incredible capacity to overcome these kinds of scenarios and still be very competitive."
Earlier this year, the Arsenal manager touched on the wider issue. “Some of them have been long-term and acute injuries, especially with some of the key players who give you a lot of days out," he said.
"It’s something that we are constantly looking at. We have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing. That creates a lot of stress and then more injuries. We are on it [as an issue] and I’m really happy with what we are doing in terms of the medical stuff and everything that we are trying to do together.”
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