Mikel Arteta issued a warning to his Arsenal stars to “keep fit” and come back in top form as a vast array of the squad jet off for international duty.
The Gunners are firmly embroiled in the battle to lift their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season. Victory over Crystal Palace last weekend lifted them eight points clear of nearest rivals Manchester City.
Despite being eliminated from the Europa League by Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal ’s domestic form is stunning after six consecutive league victories. That momentum though has been halted by the March international break - the Gunners not set to be back in action until early April.
A vast array of the current squad have jetted to all corners of the globe to fulfil their national team obligations. One of that troop is American goalkeeper Matt Turner who has revealed that boss Arteta has sent a strong message to his squad ahead of the Gunners’ title run-in after the international break.
He said: "No one's looking at this international break as an escape or as a little bit of time away.
"I think the message from our manager and the message amongst the players is very clear: you're going away to keep fit, to keep playing at the highest level, obviously stay healthy, treat your body right and come back firing on all cylinders because we're definitely not the only club that's on pause right now.
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"We need to come back with the right mentality and ready to continue to win games and I think that we have such a good nucleus at the club, that that won't be an issue."
Arteta will no doubt be desperate to avoid any more injuries this season having already bemoaned the Gunners’ misfortune throughout the campaign. Summer signings Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have already missed large chunks of the season and have been joined on the sidelines by Thomas Partey.
Four current stars are also out, the latest blows being to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu - the Japanese international now set to be out until at least the end of the season. Speaking about his side’s injuries this term, Arteta said: “We’ve been carrying injuries throughout the season.
“We had Emile [Smith Rowe] out for four months, [Gabriel] Jesus for four months, Thomas [Partey] for a month and a half, Alex [Zinchenko] for two and half months, Eddie [Nketiah] for a month and a half. We had quite a lot of injuries already, but we dealt with them.”
Following the international break, Arsenal are next back in action against Leeds at the Emirates Stadium before crucial showdowns with Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle all before the end of the season.
