Mikel Arteta has a tough task on his hands trying to retain Arsenal’s Premier League title crown as a number of his top stars are battling fitness issues at the World Cup
Eyebrows were raised when 11 Arsenal stars pulled out of international duty in March. Now we are starting to receive clear evidence that it wasn’t all one big hoax – as some sceptics had speculated.
William Saliba’s latest comments have raised alarm bells while Declan Rice has also detailed his and Bukayo Saka’s injury struggles.
It’s no secret that all three, plus captain Martin Odegaard, have trudged on through the pain barrier in recent months but their determination has not come without consequence.
For instance, Saka missed England training on Saturday and is unlikely to start against Boston in Ghana on Tuesday.
He is still struggling with Achilles tendinopathy, a painful problem that will need to be managed right through the tournament.
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Declan Rice is also suffering from neural hamstring pain and claims he’s been juggling the same issue since Christmas, highlighting the extent of his troubles.
The £105million maestro, who has also seen Saka’s struggles first hand at club level, insists England are right to operate with caution when it comes to the winger.
Ahead of the World Cup, Odegaard also told Norwegian media that the pain in his knee had “only just started to ease.”
England, France and Norway have all started well in North America and there’s every chance they could go deep in the tournament.
Should that be so, you can’t help but wonder how long the likes of Rice, Saka, Saliba and Odegaard will actually get to rest and recharge.
The World Cup final is pencilled in for July 19 in New Jersey and just four weeks later, Arsenal are in Community Shield action against Manchester City in Cardiff after finally getting their hands on the Premier League.
They need to be careful. While there’s enthusiasm to improve the squad, they do not want to make too many changes like Liverpool last season as the Reds completely destroyed their momentum.
But equally, Arsenal need to sign sufficient cover for Rice and strengthen other key areas of the squad because they cannot keep relying on their top players to make 55 or so appearances.
Odegaard, who missed 27 games last season due to various injuries, is facing an uncertain future as he’s nearly into the final two years of his contract.
Arteta has a big decision to make regarding his captain’s future but either way, what cannot be disputed is that last season has collectively taken a huge physical toll on his players.
It means for the second consecutive summer, sporting director Andrea Berta’s recruitment will be crucial.
Last summer he oversaw a club-record transfer spree and now he must focus his efforts on adding extra quality to Arteta’s ranks.
After Saliba’s and Rice’s latest comments, the club’s recruitment drive now feels even more significant than it already did because it’s hard to see those particular players replicating last season’s performance levels from the get-go in August.
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