Do Arsenal have an injury crisis on its hands?
Well, to some extent, they do have an injury crisis; if there is not one now, there sure could be, as there are ‘warning signs’ creeping in. And those warning signs have officially come to light: ACLs and leaders are unavailable, while the team are unable to find consistent, constant performance.
With players coming in and out of fitness, more pressure will be placed on the available players. Less ability to rotate from game to game, especially as they have only one win in three games in the Champions League. The more stress on the body and mind, the greater the risk of injury. If players do not get the complete rest and recovery time between matches, the strain on the body is only amplified. A key characteristic of ACLs is the constant strain and pressure on the body, which can lead to them giving way.
If players are playing every game and, due to injuries or a lack of squad depth, cannot be rested, the number of injuries will increase.
Also, the number of games will only increase as the season goes on, as they are currently playing only in the WSL and Champions League, but will also play in the League Cup and FA Cup.
We saw it in the first couple of games of the season, when players hadn't been rested and looked sluggish, making it feel like injuries were bound to happen. With poor performances with key players like Kim Little and Katie Reid available, the next few weeks without Little and Williamson (for whom Reid was deputising) could be extremely rocky. It comes at a terrible time, as they are falling down the league table in both the WSL and the Champions League and look increasingly likely to be knocked out entirely or to have to compete in the play-offs. Which means more games, less rest, more injuries
Their rocky performances are similar to Liverpool’s in the men’s side, play amazingly one game and terribly the next. They lost a 2-0 lead to Bayern Munich 3-2 in the Champions League.
Though this crisis has not reached the level of 2022/23, given the trauma of that season, it has left a scar in fans' minds that it could happen again. Some fans are concerned about the depth and quality of their squad compared to those of clubs like Chelsea.
While they have long-term injuries, there will always be injuries and minor knocks, especially with the return of international football and players being asked to do more.
Should there be concern for the rest of the season if these minor injuries niggles injuries, and setbacks continue?
As it was only a few weeks ago, they lost to Lyon, drew with Manchester United, and just about beat Brighton when key players were fit and/or available.
What will happen if more injuries happen?
They are currently only playing in the WSL and the Champions League. What happens when they start playing in the League Cup and the FA Cup, which are knockout competitions?
Plus, in the long term, not automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League and having to go through play-offs means there is more pressure to perform, which could push players' physical and mental fitness to the limit.
The long-term injury will not directly affect them now, but their second-choice goalkeeper, Manuela Zinsberger, has ruptured her ACL.
She suffered the season-ending injury during a training session ahead of the Champions League tie vs Benfica Women in October 2025.
Even though she is not their first-choice keeper, if their first-choice keeper is injured, ill, or unfit, she would have been called upon.c It also means that the No. 1 keeper cannot necessarily be rested or rotated. Though if that were to occur, they could technically bring in a new goalkeeper on loan outside the transfer window under the rules. Also, the only fit goalkeeper they have has not yet made her Arsenal debut and only joined over the summer.
She has only recently completed her surgery, with the other members of the goalkeepers’ union by her side in support.
Renee Sleger said, “It’s very hard for Manu; it’s always very sad when these things happen
Daphne Van Domselaar did not play for the Netherlands women’s national team in the October 2025 international friendlies against Poland and Canada because she was building fitness. She remained with the Dutch squad, but she was just not considered fully match-fit to play in the games.
Though this decision not to play her was likely made to manage her condition and avoid the risk of further injuries, which was likely pushed by Arsenal, given Zinsberger's injury, with Zinsberger out and van Domselaar shouldering the burden, any drop in her availability or performance makes rotation in the keeper position a critical pressure point.
Another significant injury is to the captain, Kim Little, who came off in the Arsenal game after the international break against Leicester. Since then, Renee Slegers, Arsenal manager, has suggested she would likely not be seen before Christmas, though she has had her first running session before the North London derby. Still, the manager suspects it will be after the international break. She does not just bring leadership and experience; she is also the glue and connection between the forwards and the defenders. A skill that the side dearly missed when playing midweek in the Champions League.
When I wrote the first piece, I spoke about Katie Reid's minor groin injury that took her out of her first senior England call-up. Plus, the fact that she was back on the pitch just two weeks later. “Could this cause bigger problems down the line?” That's what I said, though I was not prepared for what happened next. With Reid, the second Arsenal player this season to tear their ACL, it is looking more worrying. Mainly, as hers and Zinsberg's injuries occurred during training, not in a game, and ACLs are often caused by sharp cutting movements, what are they doing in training?
Reid's absence was felt when Arsenal squandered a 2-0 lead against Bayern Munich, losing 3-2. With poor defensive errors, the fact that the teenager came in as the replacement for Leah Williamson, who is also injured, means there’s a lack of depth in the back.
The immediate impact is a reliance on the remaining fit defenders and potentially a need to carefully manage player minutes to avoid further injuries.
Arsenal’s captain, Leah Williamson, is sidelined after undergoing a knee procedure following swelling in the joint sustained during her England duty in the summer. Her absence from the start of the 2025-26 campaign leaves a tremendous leadership and defensive gap in a back-line that already carries heavy match-loads and relies on precise timing and experience. Without Williamson’s organising voice and defensive stability, Arsenal face increased vulnerability in transitions and set pieces, placing extra strain on the remaining defenders and reducing the margin for error. Her absence also signals broader structural risk: when a senior figure of her calibre is out, it exposes weaknesses in squad depth and rotation strategy, two markers of an injury crisis developing. She is hopefully going to be back before Christmas, but they will not want to rush her return for fear of further damage to her ACL.
Sleger on Williamson's return: “You’ve seen her today in training with us, that’s the progress she’s making, she’s been more and more involved with the team and team training, which is really, really positive. She feels good, and she still has a couple of steps to take. We expect to see her again, maybe in the next block, somewhere in December, if everything goes to plan. She’s doing well at the moment.”
The manager expressed the impact William's absence has had on pass progression, one of the England star's best qualities that has been missing, including longer passes and passes in the air.
But without the likes of Leah Williamson in defence, they do not necessarily have the ability and the affordability to rotate players to rest them, especially if they have also played for the country. This increases mental strain on players not to be injured, making them more cautious and playing differently, and has been scientifically proven to increase injuries, especially when players play differently than they usually do.
While this could worsen, it is not yet at the level of the 2022/23 season. They have two ACL injuries, one of which is their second goalkeeper, and with Williamson hopefully back soon, Reid will sense a small hole. That season saw four ACL ruptures, which were unprecedented and long-term injuries. Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, two key players for Arsenal, suffered a season-ending injury.
Jona Eidevall, the manager at the time, seemed not to be surprised by the increase in ACL injuries: “We have to look at where the sport is heading … more competitive games, more intensity than there’s ever been before … that’s only going to increase.”
These injuries stretched the depth of the squad, which was already significantly depleted, and the performance became inconsistent, ending their hopes of defending the title that season.
The difference is that Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are the only long-term injuries they have. Williamson is hoping to be back before the winter break if she has no further setbacks. While the squad is now a little larger, there are still warning signs, with some fans suggesting they do not have the depth and that the squad is ageing.
Ultimately, if they are not strategic with player management and rotating their results on the pitch, it will not be their only worry.
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