Mikel Arteta Erupts in Fury Over Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera Injury Blows
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta criticized his team's demanding fixture congestion following the injuries sustained by Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera during Wednesday's triumph against Brentford.
A comfortable 2–0 victory propelled the Gunners five points ahead at the Premier League summit, though the joy was dampened by concerns over the fitness issues affecting both Rice and Mosquera.
Mosquera, who was already covering for the sidelined pair of Gabriel and William Saliba, couldn't finish the opening 45 minutes, while Rice was substituted during the closing stages of the match. Both stars seemed to have picked up muscle problems that Arteta attributed to Arsenal's demanding match calendar.
"Currently we compete on Wednesday evening, and we must play again Saturday morning," Arteta observed. "So we can manage the minutes, but if they could kindly provide us slightly more recovery time and make the welfare of these athletes somewhat easier, that would be wonderful.
"Perhaps it's not just one factor, but we can assist the players and everyone, the league and all parties, to accomplish what needs doing. Grant us an additional day, particularly for clubs competing extensively in Europe. For everyone generally, I believe we can achieve that because we'll all gain from it.
"We've never experienced such a demanding schedule at any level, not just in the Premier League, but in every international competition too. So we must attempt to address that, please.
"It's not a debate, I believe it's logical," he continued. "I think at some stage this becomes excessive, you understand, and the athletes aren't robots. But we must try to manage that when possible."
Rice Confirms Availability for Aston Villa
Arteta revealed Rice would undergo additional medical examinations regarding his knock, with a definitive assessment expected Thursday.
Nevertheless, the midfielder personally sought to calm any worries immediately following the match. In a private discussion with Sky Sports News, Rice stated he was "okay" and would be ready to feature against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Regarding Mosquera, Arteta provided no additional information about the defender's problem. Observing from the stands, Saliba was spotted expressing frustration as the summer acquisition departed the field to join the third center-back on the injury list.
Positively for Arsenal, Arteta recently indicated Saliba was merely "days" from returning, with Saturday's clash against Villa potentially serving as an ideal comeback opportunity. Gabriel, however, continues to be "weeks" from his recovery.