“Player Welfare Must Be Respected”: Arteta Frustrated as Gyokeres Adds to Arsenal Injury Woes

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Viktor Gyokeres will miss Tuesday’s Champions League match against Slavia Prague. The Swedish striker suffered a muscle injury during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Burnley. His absence adds to the Gunners’ growing list of injured forwards.

Gyokeres was forced off after feeling pain and did not train on Monday. Arteta admitted concern about the player’s condition. “I am concerned because he hasn’t had many muscular issues and had to leave the pitch,” he said. “That’s never a good sign, especially for such an explosive player. We are still checking to understand how bad it is.”

The manager confirmed that Gyokeres will not feature in Prague. “He hasn’t trained today. We need more tests to know the extent of the injury,” Arteta added.

The Gunners now face a serious attacking crisis. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and captain Martin Odegaard are also sidelined. Despite this, Arsenal are in top form. They have won nine straight games and kept seven clean sheets. Mikel Merino, who replaced Gyokeres at Burnley, could start in Prague.

Arsenal lead the Premier League with a six-point gap over Manchester City. They also sit seven points clear of Liverpool. The London club is chasing its first league title since 2004 and remains unbeaten in Europe, with three wins from three in the Champions League.

However, Arteta is unhappy with the packed schedule. The EFL has moved Arsenal’s League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace to December 23. That means both teams will play two matches in three days. Arteta called for changes. “Hopefully, they will move our Premier League match,” he said. “Playing two days later doesn’t make sense.”

With seven players injured, Arteta warned that player welfare is being ignored. “If we continue like this, we need to be respected,” he said. “Player welfare must be respected.”