Exclusive: Mikel Arteta trusts wounded Arsenal side to 'adapt' amid injury crisis, hails academy graduates

Arsenal's injury woes looked to have hampered their Premier League title challenge this season, with manager Mikel Arteta admitting he has had to make significant changes to keep his team in contention. Ahead of The Gunners' trip to Nottingham Forest, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, the Spaniard discussed the challenges he has faced so far this term.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is calling on his players to show "adaptability" through the club’s ongoing injury troubles.

Speaking exclusively to TNT Sports, Arteta pinpointed the absences of "very, very important players" as one of his biggest challenges so far this season, but says being flexible and "trusting" his players has kept The Gunners competitive.

Arsenal head into their next fixture - against Nottingham Forest, live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - without Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, who have sustained long-term injuries requiring surgery this season, as well as Gabriel Martinelli, who has been absent in recent weeks.

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How to watch Forest v Arsenal on TNT Sports and discovery+

10/09/2025 at 16:42

Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard missed two months earlier in the season, while Ben White is just returning after knee surgery which has kept him out of action since November.

Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu also remains sidelined long-term while summer signings Ricardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino are among others who have also missed notable game time.

"This season, we have changed a lot of things in relation to, unfortunately, what has happened," Arteta said.

Among these changes, The Gunners have had to deploy midfielders Thomas Partey and Miles Lewis-Skelly in defensive roles, as well as most recently playing midfielder Merino as a striker.

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"A lot is about trusting your players and finding other ways to do things," Arteta said.

"Obviously, when you're missing four of your key attacking players and the defensive players, and situations that we have through the season, it’s very different. So it's about adaptability and being still very consistent and very competitive.

"They have to [be adaptable] because, at the end, you have to play to the strengths of the players, and you have to make sure that the players feel what they have been asked to do on the pitch.

"That's the most important thing in the end for things to go well."

Arteta also discussed the psychological aspect of managing players when they suffer serious injuries, and trying to keep them involved with the team even through lengthy absences.

"Every case is different," he explained. "I think the players that had some previous big injuries in the past, and immediately after an action happens, they know. You know the consequences of that.

"Some others, for example, Kai never had surgery, never had a big injury. You have to explain it. He needs to go through that. He needs a few days to understand that it’s a new process.

"So it's something that you have to adapt, because suddenly your life is very different."

In relation to keeping injured players involved in the group setting, he added: "We can fix the schedules.

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"They are very much involved, because, first of all, they want to be involved, and they don't want to be missing now, everything that is happening around the team.

"But unfortunately, obviously, we travel a lot. We have a lot of days away from the training ground and that connection is not always as it is when they are fit."

Much was made of The Gunners not taking the opportunity to strengthen their squad during the January transfer window - a gamble that backfired with the subsequent injuries suffered by Martinelli and Havertz.

Arteta insists Arsenal were active but were unable to complete any deals.

"Yeah, we certainly tried," he revealed." We all know that we made it very clear and public about that intention, and unfortunately, didn't manage to do it."

Arteta explained in detail the numerous factors involved in the identification and recruitment of the right "personality" of player to improve the Arsenal team.

"Well, he has to be fit," the Spaniard said. "The right profile, his background, his ability to fulfil the role that is going to be asked, you know.

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"A player has to come to a big club, and you need to have certain status, certain personality to come here, put the shirt on and deliver.

"As much information as you have, the better. His education, his background, his environment, what he has done in the past, what league is he coming from? How impactful this can be for adapting to a very different challenge.

"What kind of role is this player going to be asked to do, and what kind of relationship is he going to have, to fulfil the qualities that he has?"

Two players the Gunners boss is happy to have in his squad are teenagers Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly, who have impressed in what has been a breakthrough season for the academy graduates.

Arteta says he is pleased with both players’ progress and says it is part of Arsenal's ‘DNA’ to keep nurturing young talent to hopefully make the step up to the first team.

He continued: "The way they impressed us since they've been with us. It was more consistent throughout the pre-season, how we felt about them and how the team and the players felt about them and how they could contribute, how they could help us to be better, more equipped, bring different qualities.

"Both of them, they have deserved the chance that they got. And I think after they really performed."

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With hope of seeing more youth players coming through, he added: "It's part of our DNA. And the first thing that we have to look at when we want to increase the quality of the squad, is always our academy.

"The more academy [players] we have with the right education, the right feelings towards the club, and understanding what we want, the easier it is, and the better it is.

"So I love working with those young players. I love developing talent, giving opportunities and hopefully many more to come."

Arsenal travel to the City Ground trailing runaway league leaders Liverpool by 11 points as they hope to get back to winning ways following defeat to West Ham United last time out.

How to watch Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal will be live on TNT Sports 2 with coverage from 18:30 UK time on Wednesday, February 26, ahead of kick-off at 19:30.

You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

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