Mikel Arteta's hopes of a respite from Arsenal's injury crisis have been dashed after Ben White underwent knee surgery and Leandro Trossard was forced off while playing for Belgium. The Gunners have been hit hard by injuries this season, with five players sidelined while on international duty, missing a combined 22 matches.
Data from Premier Injuries shows Arsenal rank fourth in the Premier League for days lost to injury, with 297 days as of November 13. Only Brighton, Ipswich, and Crystal Palace have fared worse. The club has also had players miss at least one match on 10 occasions, the sixth-highest in the league.
This marks a stark contrast to the previous two seasons, when Arsenal challenged for the title. In 2022-23, Arteta named an unchanged team 13 times, more than any other side. Last season, they had 898 days lost to injury, the seventh-best record in the league.
Arteta has described the season as an “absolute nightmare” regarding player fitness. With nine points behind leaders Liverpool, he insists Arsenal are still in the title race but must recover their injured players quickly. The Gunners return to action on Saturday against Nottingham Forest.
