Arteta Explodes Over Arsenal's Injury Crisis, Declares Three Stars "Really Dangerous" to Field
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed that Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Leandro Trossard will all miss Wednesday's Champions League encounter against Club Brugge amid an injury situation he described as potentially "really dangerous."
The ongoing unavailability of Saliba and Trossard comes as little shock. Following Saturday's 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, Arteta indicated he would be without the French defender—along with his regular partner Gabriel—for an extended "period of time." Trossard had recovered sufficiently to appear as a substitute at Villa Park but was subsequently withdrawn with another injury just 40 minutes into his appearance.
Rice's absence presents a more unexpected blow. The consistently reliable midfielder had overcome fitness concerns from earlier in the week to complete the full match against Villa, only to miss training sessions before the Belgium trip. Arteta confirmed all three players would be unavailable for the league phase fixture, though he minimized concerns about Rice's condition.
"No, Declan fell ill," the Spanish manager explained. "He became quite unwell following the match and hasn't made the journey with us. William remains unavailable, and Leo suffered another setback in the same problematic area. I don't anticipate it being lengthy, but regrettably, he cannot participate."
Elaborating on Rice's circumstances, Arteta quipped: "I believe he required rest more than sunshine because he was feeling terrible.
"He'll need a few days to recover and get his body back to normal. Even today, he was eager to participate. Unfortunately, that's not possible."
Max Dowman Expected to Be Out for Longer Than Expected
Max Dowman will likewise be missing from Arsenal's lineup this week and beyond. Arteta estimated the young prospect would be sidelined for "weeks" due to his ankle problem picked up during a friendly against Manchester United's U21 team last weekend.
Nevertheless, in characteristic Arteta fashion, it seems the Spanish manager has downplayed Dowman's absence. The Athletic indicates that Dowman faces approximately two months out after suffering ankle ligament damage.
Arteta: Arsenal's Injuries Create Vicious Circle
Arsenal's fitness problems are hardly unprecedented. When directly questioned about whether his intensive training methods contributed to the issues, Arteta responded defensively. "Not training, no, because we lack time to train," he responded curtly. "Training isn't the factor."
Nevertheless, Arteta recognized that widespread injuries likely contribute to additional fitness problems, as available players must shoulder extra responsibility to compensate for missing teammates. "Obviously, when you're without players, you're placing greater demands on others," Arteta observed.
"That's an inevitable result, and it's really dangerous. We also have some players on long-term deals who haven't been available since the season started. It's certainly a challenge for the squad, and thus far, we've responded exceptionally well to it."