With Gabriel Magalhães now ruled out through injury until the end of the season, Arsenal’s squad depth has been further tested at a crucial stage of the campaign. The Brazilian defender’s absence adds to the growing list of sidelined players, leaving Mikel Arteta with fewer options as the Gunners continue their push across multiple competitions.
Arsenal have been plagued by injury problems throughout the season. Key figures such as Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are also expected to miss the remainder of the campaign, compounding the challenges Arteta faces in maintaining consistency and balance within his squad.
The Gunners must now adapt without several of their top performers—a predicament not unique to them. Several Premier League clubs have been similarly affected by injuries, particularly during this intense part of the season. With the increasing demands placed on modern footballers—more matches, additional competitions, heightened travel schedules, and greater physical intensity—the risk of injury has never been higher.
Currently, there are regulations in place limiting the number of players clubs may register for the league. However, given the frequency and severity of injuries across the division, there is a growing argument for a review of these restrictions.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has voiced his opinion on the matter, advocating for expanded squad allowances to better cope with the physical demands placed on players. As quoted by the Daily Mail, he stated:
“Logically, if we demand the players to play more games in more competitions with more travel and more intensity, the only solution to deal with it is more players. I don’t see any other solution.”
Arteta’s comments reflect a wider concern within the game about player welfare and squad sustainability. With the football calendar becoming increasingly congested, clubs may soon require more flexibility in how they build and rotate their squads.
Injuries have become a defining factor for many teams this season, and unless structural changes are made—such as increasing squad registration limits—managers will continue to face the difficult task of competing at the highest level with depleted resources. For Arsenal, the immediate focus remains on navigating their injury crisis with resilience and adaptability.
______________________________________________________________________________________
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
But Mikel, you don’t use your squad, when all are fit?
Spot on Reggie.
Agree 25 players plus youth available every game but managers play the same 13-14 players then moan when they get injured through over playing. If Heaven had been played he might not have gone off to Utd.
The current injury that Gabriel has can be placed back to earlier in the season. Arsenal had three games in 9 days, and before the first one Arteta said that Gabriel had a grade 1 in his hamstring, but wanted to play. They had an argument, but Arteta decided to risk him.
Then before the second game, they looked at him again and again decided to play him, after Arteta and Gabriel having a few words. He then played again for the third time in 9 days, all this remember with a grade 1 in his hamstring.
Now although this is later in the season, and Gabriel is now out for the rest of the season. Now you get Arteta bemoaning that there should be bigger squads allowed.
Well instead of bemoaning the lack in size of squads, he should stand up to players who want to play when there’s a clear risk of more damage to an injury that their clearly carrying.
How can a manager who has it on good authority from the medical team, that Gabriel has a grade 1 hamstring, then allow the player to dictate to him that he still want’s to play regardless.
And we wonder why the club has such an injury crisis this season. How many of the current injured player’s persuaded Arteta to allow them to play when maybe at risk.
Bad management.🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
The thing is, these injuries are not unique to Arsenal. If you look at the data, there’s an increase in hamstring injuries throughout the league. This is proof that there’s more to it than management.Players like Rodri,Son and KDB have voiced their opinions on this very subject- I suggest you look into that. Other managers have also expressed the same concerns as Arteta. Maybe there is something these professional footballers and managers know that we don’t.
Onyango,
You miss my point. You say that other managers as well as Arteta have expressed the same concerns.
In my post I said that the Medical team had told Arteta that Gabriel had a grade 1 hamstring, but still decided to play him. If Arteta is as worried as you say, then why play Gabriel having been told by his medical team that Gabriel had a hamstring injury.
I’m not making this up, Arteta said it in a press conference at some point.
Even with more players, would Arteta rotate more?
Tierney has been fit how long, yet he sits on the bench. Tierney is more than capable of playing LB, we are not talking about some U-21 kid, or scrub who makes up numbers.
The club sold ESR, loaned Vieira and Nelson, so if we are short in attackers who’s fault is that? The club is at fault.
Chose not to loan anyone in January, there were options.
Man management is a problem, manager plays the same players into the ground.
How many years has Saka not had cover?
Jesus is injured again, a clear pattern now, yet he’s still at the club.
Can’t have 25 first team starters, simply have to rotate and rest players, have to actually manage a squad, not just your preferred 13 or ¹4.
No one can tell for sure how fit a player is at time, it is down to the player 90% of the time to tell the condition he’s in.
Arteta and the medical staff are a bunch of bricks!
You mean pr1cks surely.
This bloke knows no bounds to the utter cringe and b0llocks he comes out with .
He’s a walking excuse of a manager .
The biggest ego maniac kN0b I’ve seen on these shores since Jose (At least he won stuff )
Get rid for the new season and get someone else in who’s not all about himself rather than the club
Glad he realises though late in the day the importance of having a better squad than what we have.
The reason as to why we have performed so poorly in cup competitions is majorly due to lack of an adequate depth and quality across the team assembled by Arteta.
Secondly he also needs to admit that for a team to perform better players need competition in their positions.This can only be achieved through proper recruitment and utilisation of players something he has terribly failed to do over the years in my view.
The focus is now on the war chest