MIKEL ARTETA claims Arsenal are in a “dangerous circle” as their injury nightmare continues.
The Premier League leaders, who aim to continue their 100 per cent Champions League record away to Club Brugge, have been rocked by 15-year-old Max Dowman picking up a serious ankle injury.
Dowman, who has played five first-team games this season, suffered the problem for the Under-21s on Saturday while Declan Rice has not travelled due to illness while Leandro Trossard and William Saliba have also remained in England with knocks.
Asked if he is over-training the players, Arteta said: “No, because we don’t have time to train properly.
“Training is not there but obviously the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more and as a consequence to that, it’s a really dangerous circle.
“The fact that we also have had some others that are long term who haven’t been with us since the beginning of the season but as well, it’s a test for the team and so far we have reacted very, very well to that.
“Wiith Max, unfortunately, he picked up an injury last weekend, and he had to come off, so we did some scans, and he is going to be out for weeks.
“Declan was ill so he was quite sick after the [Aston] Villa game already, and he hasn’t travelled with us.
“William is still not available and Leo again, he picked another knock in an area where he had a previous issue and I don’t expect that it’s going to be long but unfortunately, he cannot be with us.
“We lost Big Gabi [Gabriel Magalhaes] and we have other players that could only play certain minutes like Richy [Riccardo Calafiori] the other day but it’s a situation that we have managed since the beginning of the season.
“We are in December so it’s almost five months in a remarkable way and we’re going to continue to do the same.
“It’s something that we are constantly looking at. We have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing that puts a lot of stress and then more injuries but we are on it and I’m really happy with what we’re doing in terms of the medical stuff and everything that we are trying to bring together.”
Because of Dowman’s injury, fit-again Gabriel Jesus has replaced him on the Uefa list so he is on the bench for the clash in Belgium.
Piero Hincapie and Gabriel will not be back until next month while Kai Havertz had a setback on his return from a knee problem,
Arteta hopes Arsenal can bounce back from their first defeat in 19 games in the 2-1 loss at Villa.
Arteta said: “It was strange because we do not lose that many. It is difficult, but as well it’s a reflection of who we are and what we want to get.
‘Margins are very, very small’
“And this has to help us to be a better team, to learn the lesson, to value what we are doing, first of all, as well.
“ Because with all the difficulties that we have from the start of the season, where we are in the position where we are, both in the Champions League and the Premier League, is where we want to be and understand that you have to earn it every single day, and the margins are very, very small.”
In-form Gabriel Martinelli is hoping to score in a fifth successive Champions League game on Wednesday which would see Arsenal surely clinch at top-eight spot – with two games to go.
Martinelli said: “In the Champions League, the game is more open and everyone wants to attack, and have loads of space. In the Premier League, some teams, as they say, park the bus and are tricky to score against.”
With only four points from five Champions League games, Brugge currently sit 26th so they have to win against Arsenal.
Only this week, they sacked manager Nicky Hayen, who had been in charge since March 2024, with Ivan Leko poached from Gent as the replacement.
