Mikel Arteta has brought in Spanish physio Joaquin Acedo, a personal friend who is based in Cadiz, to conduct a review at the club's London Colney training ground. According to The Telegraph, Acedo has been a regular presence around the squad this season and was also invited to the facility last year.
The move reflects growing frustration inside the club. Of Arsenal's 22 outfield players, only midfielder Martin Zubimendi and teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly have come through the season without picking up an injury. According to Transfermarkt, Arsenal players have collectively missed 262 matches this season.
Arteta is without Kai Havertz and defender Jurrien Timber for Saturday's fixture against Fulham, with captain Martin Odegaard also a doubt after he was withdrawn earlier than expected in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.
Havertz has had a particularly difficult campaign. The German forward missed the opening day of the season with a knee injury and was then sidelined for a further three months following hamstring surgery in February 2025, leaving him with just 20 appearances in total.
Arteta acknowledged the scale of the absence.
"He's been a huge miss. We're talking about one of the most important attacking players that we have, and he's been out for seven or eight months. He's not been the only one, unfortunately, with long-term injuries and players that we've missed."
He was careful to credit the squad's response.
"The team has shown an incredible capacity to overcome these kinds of scenarios and still be very competitive."
Among those who have been absent for significant stretches this season are Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Odegaard and Mikel Merino. The volume of injuries has put Arteta's selection under persistent pressure at the most demanding point of the club's push to end a 22-year wait for a league title.
The tension behind the scenes at London Colney, as reported by The Telegraph, appears to centre on whether enough has been done to prevent breakdowns rather than simply treat them after the fact. Whether Acedo's review produces structural changes remains to be seen, but the decision to bring in an external voice signals that Arteta is not prepared to accept the status quo heading into next season.