Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that the club’s injury crisis has limited Raheem Sterling’s playing time this season, despite the winger’s eagerness to contribute. Sterling, on loan from Chelsea, has made only two Premier League starts since joining the Gunners in the summer.
Sterling’s struggles for minutes under Arteta have been compounded by Arsenal’s defensive injury woes. The team currently has five defenders receiving medical treatment, including Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori. Arteta has been forced to make tactical adjustments, leaving Sterling out of the starting lineup.
However, Arteta insists he hopes to give Sterling more opportunities as the season progresses. “There’s been moments when I haven’t given him more minutes,” Arteta said. “It’s been tough and very difficult for me as well to accept that I haven’t given him more. When he hasn’t started the games, 90 per cent of the subs I make is related to saving minutes or because of injuries or avoiding injuries. It’s not tactical reasons.”
Arteta expressed sympathy for Sterling’s situation, acknowledging the winger’s desire to play a key role in the team. “He’s very good in the dressing room and is absolutely desperate to play,” Arteta said. “He had this very important role, impacting every game, and suddenly you are in this position for a while. Not just here but at Chelsea as well. So it’s always very difficult and I feel a lot of sympathy for players when they are in this moment. Hopefully we can change it.”
Sterling’s future at Arsenal remains uncertain, but Arteta’s comments suggest the winger will receive more opportunities in the coming weeks.
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