Mikel Arteta has blamed the packed footballing schedule for Arsenal’s latest injury blow, claiming there is “no time for training” after Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring problem.
Havertz is set to miss the rest of the campaign after injuring himself at a warm-weather training camp in Dubai while stretching to block a shot.
Arteta had taken his squad away to the United Arab Emirates in the hopes of refreshing them ahead of what could be a hectic period across competitions as they look to chase down Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
But the manager is now without his first four forward options, with Gabriel Jesus recovering from knee surgery and both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka also dealing with hamstring issues.
Arteta believes that a lack of training time may be to blame for the similar issues sustained by his players, with the London club playing twice a week regularly across the season.
“We train less than ever, it's normal. There's no time for training,” he said. “The problem is you don't train the muscle, you expose the muscle and the tendon to something they cannot recover.
“The injury happened in a very unexpected way. It's a big blow because of the injuries we have. Fortunately we have dealt with many injuries this season.”
A number of top Premier League clubs have dealt with significant issues this season, with Tottenham ravaged by injuries amid criticism of an increasingly crowded calendar.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri warned that players could consider strike action over the congestion in September just days before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).