Mikel Arteta Fears Arsenal’s Season Is Heading in Familiar Direction After Wigan Win

The Gunners remain in pursuit of a famous Quadruple.

Mikel Arteta is not happy with Arsenal’s current situation. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted his fear that injuries could once again derail his side’s pursuit of Premier League glory.

Fitness problems played a major role in Arsenal’s late-season collapses in both 2022–23 and 2023–24, and the injury bug has reappeared again this year as Martin Ødegaard joined Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz on the sidelines to leave Arteta with limited options in rotation.

“Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders, now it’s the midfielders...” Arteta reflected as he admitted he was concerned about the direction of his side’s season after the 4–0 victory.

“We are still coping with that but we need some players back and fit and to give us as well not only numbers, but different options in relation to the opponents that we have, so the quicker the better.”

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Arsenal’s Current Injury Woes

Martin Ødegaard missed out against Wigan. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images

Injured Player	Issue	Potential Return Date
Riccardo Calafiori	Unknown	Unknown
Mikel Merino	Foot	May
Martin Ødegaard	Knee	Unknown
Max Dowman	Ankle	March
Kai Havertz	Muscle	March

While having just five players on the sidelines may not sound like a significant problem for Arsenal, Arteta’s biggest issue is the fact most of his absentees are options to play in midfield.

Merino and Ødegaard are regular starters, with Havertz and Dowman capable deputies. The group’s absence, along with a desire to rest Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi, saw Arteta turn to an incredibly attack-minded midfield group against fortunately inferior opposition over the weekend.

Eberechi Eze joined Christian Nørgaard at the base of a midfield trio which was spearheaded by winger Bukayo Saka, drafted into a central role as an emergency measure.

While Rice and Zubimendi will be restored to the lineup in midweek and are near-certainties to play whenever they are fit, the depth behind that duo is clearly a problem. Eze is too attacking to be used in a similar role at a higher level, while Saka’s strongest position remains out wide.

Young Myles Lewis-Skelly, a midfielder by trade, was expected to start in his traditional role on Sunday before Calafiori’s withdrawal in the warm-up meant the academy graduate had to turn out at left back again.

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Can Arsenal Cope in Quadruple Race?

Declan Rice could be more important than ever for Arsenal. | Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

Assuming nothing else goes wrong, this is an injury crisis which Arsenal should be able to manage. Unfortunately, fate is rarely so kind.

As Arsenal continue to compete on four fronts, rotation and keeping players fit and healthy is a priority for Arteta. The current squad does have enough depth to cope but the Gunners will know they are, once again, one injury away from a potential disaster.

Getting through to the March international break will be Arteta’s current goal. Havertz and Dowman should be available by that point, while there will be hope that Ødegaard’s current issue is not serious enough to last into April.

Over the next five weeks, Arsenal need to navigate as many as nine fixtures across all four competitions—an unenviable task when one area of the squad is already struggling with injuries.

Among the fixtures coming up are the two legs of the Champions League round of 16 against one of Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos. There are tough Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to navigate, as well as the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The not-so-small matter of the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City sends Arsenal into the March break, meaning Arteta can ill-afford any further setbacks over the coming weeks.

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Arsenal’s Fixtures Before March International Break

Opponent	Date	Competition
Wolves (A)	Feb. 18	Premier League
Tottenham (A)	Feb. 22	Premier League
Chelsea (H)	March 1	Premier League
Brighton (A)	March 4	Premier League
TBC	March 7	FA Cup Fifth Round
TBC (A)	March 10/11	Champions League Ro16
Everton (H)	March 15	Premier League
TBC (H)	March 17/18	Champions League Ro16
Man City (N)	March 22	Carabao Cup Final

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