Mikel Arteta has indicated Arsenal are prepared to make new signings in the January transfer window as the club grapples with a mounting injury crisis. The Gunners could be without up to seven players for Wednesday's Champions League clash against Monaco, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu ruled out with knee injuries.
Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey all missed training on Tuesday, leaving Kieran Tierney in line for his first Arsenal appearance in 16 months. Arteta admitted the squad needs strengthening if the injury situation does not improve before the window opens.
“The window gives us an opportunity to strengthen the team if we feel that is needed and we feel that we have the capacity to do that as well,” Arteta said. “We are on it and just have to assess the situation because it is changing every week. At the moment not for the better, but I'm positive that in a few weeks we're going to be in a better place.”
Arsenal are set to name their tenth different defensive combination of the season against Monaco, but Arteta remains hopeful that other players will step up. “It is what it is,” he said. “At the end if we have to accept the challenge and its opportunities for other players to do that.”
The manager noted that the injury problems are forcing changes for the wrong reasons but stressed the team is adapting well. “I'm really happy with the way that we are playing, and the good thing is that it's not conditioning the team in such a way that we have to become a different team,” he added.
