Mikel Arteta admits too many factors involved to pinpoint the root cause of Arsenal injury crisis | OneFootball

Gunners have picked up injuries at an alarming rate already this season with several key players sidelined at present

Kai Havertz is one of several Arsenal players currently unavailable to Mikel Arteta

Getty Images

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings

Sign up

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Mikel Arteta says attempting to discover the root cause of players’ injuries is like trying to predict the stock market.

Arsenal have been hit by a spate of injuries over the past 18 months and at the start of this season.

Arteta revealed last month that the club were looking into Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injuries after he suffered a second in the space of nine months.

The Spaniard says Arsenal looked at “everything” - but there are too many factors involved to pinpoint the root cause.

“And then I realised three months later that he had a problem with his wife or he didn’t sleep or his kid [didn’t sleep] for three days, and then he got injured, and I say: ‘I’ve been scratching my head for one month trying to do that, and then I found out that this was the real reason’.

“There are a lot of factors we’re trying to control, dominate and be aware of what we can predict. But unfortunately, this is sport, football and life, and it’s not that easy.

Sidelined: Noni Madueke

Getty Images

“There is a push when people are trying to accelerate. So to replicate that in training, especially when a player is playing every three days, is very, very difficult.

“The thing is that you have to replicate all the previous actions. You have to replicate the motion, the stress level, your cortisol level, your mental state, the results.

To stress the number of factors at play, Arteta referenced Gabriel’s hamstring injury that he suffered in April.

The Brazilian tore his hamstring against Fulham and was forced to miss the end of the season.

“For example, when Gabi Magalhaes gets injured, a lot of people say he comes from Brazil and does that,” said Arteta.

“But Gabi had to chase 50 metres backwards chasing against Adama Traore. If, instead of Adama Traore, that was Emile Smith Rowe, with all respect, probably he doesn’t pull his hamstring.

There are a lot of factors we’re trying to control, dominate and be aware of what we can predict. But unfortunately, this is sport, football and life, and it’s not that easy

Mikel Arteta

“The last time he went to 33-34 km an hour was six weeks ago. So, he didn’t have any exposure there. Can I train that there? I think I can’t.

“But the game can take you to these circumstances. Maybe before that you had to do two very explosive actions or maybe none. And that’s the moment where the muscle and tendon reacts or not.”