Arsenal’s current season has been marked by a series of injuries that have disrupted their lineup and impacted team performance. After a challenging period, they recently welcomed back Martin Odegaard, whose absence for over two months due to injury left a significant gap in both leadership and creativity on the field. The Norwegian’s return is expected to reinvigorate Arsenal’s midfield and offer a tactical boost as they prepare for critical matches leading up to the season’s halfway mark.
However, Odegaard is just one of several key players Arsenal has lost to injury this season. Bukayo Saka, one of their most dynamic attackers, has also faced multiple injury setbacks, limiting his availability. Likewise, Declan Rice, brought in over the summer to strengthen the midfield, has missed time as well. For a team that depends heavily on the contributions of these core players, their recurring injuries have undoubtedly affected consistency and team cohesion.
Mikel Arteta has tried to manage his squad through these challenges, but the extent of the injuries has presented limitations. According to The Sun, Arsenal’s players have collectively missed 38 games due to injuries this season, making them the third most affected team in England in terms of cumulative player absences. Manchester United leads with absences adding up to 57 missed games, while Manchester City follows with 42 games lost. This statistic underscores the common challenges elite teams are facing in balancing performance and player health, especially given the intense match schedules in both domestic and European competitions.
For Arsenal, these injury-related absences reveal why they, like City, have experienced fluctuations in form. While Arteta and his medical staff are undoubtedly focused on maintaining player fitness through the rest of the season, the reality is that maintaining momentum with frequent absences is difficult. Arsenal’s depth has allowed some flexibility, but when the team’s leading contributors are out, the overall quality and fluidity of play are affected.
The struggle to replace the impact of players like Odegaard, Saka, and Rice also highlights the growing need for squad depth in top-tier teams. Arteta’s efforts to manage these challenges could define Arsenal’s season, as maintaining player availability will be key to keeping pace with title rivals in the Premier League and continuing a strong run in European competitions.
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Interesting – and worrying for the EPL.
The (slightly) good news is that at least Arsenal doesn’t have the worst injury record – as you may well have thought reading some articles and posts (which sometimes come close to suggesting it’s almost unique to our club).
Apparently, there is almost a “medical emergency” across the EPL according to the Sun’s article. All the top clubs, to one degree or another, are losing players this relatively early stage of the season.
It’s certainly worrying that so many highly trained professionals in peak physical condition (one assumes) should get injured so quickly. Too many games? Actually cutting them is easier said than done although it may come to that.
Bertie,
I wanted to know how the teams below us in the ‘days lost’ fared so I had a peek at the Sun’s article.
Spurs – 30
Villa – 26
Liverpool 24
Chelsea 15
When we compare how City and we have struggled against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, it isn’t good reading, so I think that it is fair to say that whilst there are 2 teams above who are worse off, the injuries have clearly made a difference.
There is also the important factor that some of those injured will have a greater importance than others in the team, some of whom might more often than not come off the bench rather than being a regular.
And now, White having recently undergone surgery on his knee with the possibility of not returning until 2025, isn’t great news either.
You’re right about the numbers which is why I qualified my earlier remarks about other top clubs with “to one degree or another”. It varies.
As you say, however, the “bald” numbers don’t tell the whole story. It’s also down to the relative importance of those players within the team (and that’s down in turn to, in part at least, to the quality/strength of the squad).
I’m certainly not an expert on, say, Liverpool’s squad for instance but I would have thought on a quick look anyway that the potential effect of their injuries was – give or take – roughly on par with ours, even though numerically less.
For example, they’ve lost their top choice keeper (generally considered to be one of the best, if not the best, in the EPL) for several weeks now. I wonder what the effect on Arsenal would be should Raya miss a similar number of games. Against that of course, we’ve had Odegaard and others out. It looks to me like their squad is stronger – but that’s down to Arsenal and Arteta, if true.
Arsenal’s injury crisis is a result of Arteta’s mistake of playing only 12-13 players for the major part of last 3 years. He is simply to stubborn to play some youngsters and rotate the team. Simply he does not know how to train the academy player. He is pure checkbook manager. With him Arsenal will not many major trophy.
Even spending that much amount in last 4 years we are close to Financial restriction. Then again in next season we will loose unproductive Jesus, Zinzenko, Tierny like players for nothing and whetever budget we will get will be used to get 1 good player only.
Unless and until Arteta learns to use few players from Academy and find some gems on cheap price, He can’t take Arsenal forward.