LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has criticized the club’s Premier League schedule after midfielder Declan Rice and center-back Cristhian Mosquera became the latest players to pick up injuries during Wednesday’s 2-0 home win over Brentford.
The North London club are already without first-choice center-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, as well as forward Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard.
Mosquera limped off just minutes before half-time with what Arteta said was either a knee or ankle issue, while England international Rice was substituted in the 83rd minute because of a calf problem.
“Obviously it’s never good news. Declan had to come off. We have to see tomorrow what he’s got,” Arteta told reporters.
“Mosquera is the other one that is out. Obviously we have big Gabi (Gabriel) and Willy (Saliba) out as well. So we have to adapt. It’s been a theme of this season.
“(Rice) could not carry on playing, so we have to wait and see tomorrow what happens ... he can walk but he cannot play.” Arsenal next visit high-flying Aston Villa on Saturday before taking a trip to Belgian side Club Brugge in the Champions League on December 10.
Arsenal, who top the Champions League standings, regained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to Mikel Merino’s early goal and a late one from substitute Bukayo Saka against Brentford.
“Now we play Wednesday night and we have to play Saturday morning as well,” Arteta said. “So we can play minutes, but if they can please give us just a little bit more time to recover and to make the well-being of these players a little bit easier, that would be great...
“Give us another day, especially the teams that are playing so much in Europe. To everybody in general, I think we can do that because we’re going to benefit from that.
“We’ve never had such a schedule at every level, not only in the Premier League, but every competition internationally as well. So we need to try to do that, please.
“It’s not an argument, I think it’s common sense. I think it’s not at some point this becomes too much, you know, and the players are not machines. But we have to try to do that when we can.”
Arteta hits out at schedule after Rice, Mosquera forced off deepening Arsenal’s injury woes
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Arteta hits out at schedule after Rice, Mosquera forced off deepening Arsenal’s injury woes
- Arsenal are already without first-choice center-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, forward Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard
- “Obviously it’s never good news. Declan had to come off. We have to see tomorrow what he’s got,” Arteta told reporters
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
