Arteta has often taken unconventional approaches in Arsenal's pursuit of excellence. His current ambition to push boundaries further and lead the team to defend their Premier League title is almost like reaching for the stars.
Injuries are back in focus for Arteta after Saka strained his thigh against Bayern Munich two weeks ago, an injury expected to keep him out for four to six weeks. For the 25-year-old, it is his 11th injury since September 2024.
Arsenal and injuries have always had a difficult relationship, and Arteta has been working to reduce them since the 2022-23 season, when Saliba's absence badly hampered their Premier League title push. A sign on the wall of Arsenal's medical room reads: "Your greatest ability is availability." The message could not be clearer.
But what exactly are they doing to address the problem? Mail Sport can reveal that in recent seasons Arsenal staff have been asked to approach well-known global corporations to find innovative ways to reduce injuries and speed up recovery.
They have consulted NASA for expertise in space physiology, with a focus on anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
In space, where gravity is much weaker, the human body bears less load, which leads to muscle atrophy and loss of bone density. NASA has therefore long studied how the body changes in low gravity and how it responds on returning to Earth.
Arsenal believe these studies could offer valuable insights for their ACL rehabilitation process. That includes how much load injured players should bear at different stages, how quickly that load should increase, how low-gravity training could help players resume running and weight-bearing activity sooner, and how to tell whether a player's body is truly ready for the increased demands.
The issue is particularly important given Arsenal's experiences in recent seasons. Timber tore his ACL on his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest in August 2023 and was sidelined for more than a year. Jesus missed 332 days after suffering the same injury in January 2025.
The problem is not limited to the men's team. Arsenal Women have also suffered a worrying string of ACL injuries in recent seasons, affecting several prominent players. Williamson, Mead and Miedema all suffered ACL injuries in 2022-23, while Zinsberger, Agyemang, Pelova and Andy Reid have all had the same injury in the past 18 months.
NASA is not the only high-profile name Arsenal have brought in to combat injuries. Google, one of the club's official partners, is also believed to be involved in data analysis consulting. Its expertise in handling vast amounts of information could help identify patterns linked to injury risk and detect subtle changes in running mechanics or physical output.
Apple has also been consulted on how wearable technology can be used to collect physiological data and give a clearer picture of how players respond to training and recovery. This includes using Apple Watches to track metrics such as heart rate and exercise intensity.
Arsenal's global brand helps make these collaborations possible. Ultimately, the club's name opens doors at leading global organizations, which are often eager to work with a top sports club. For their employees, it is of course a far cry from a typical corporate meeting.
It is difficult to measure how effective Arsenal's efforts have been, as injuries are inherently complex. Many factors contribute to them, and many are beyond the club's control. However, Arsenal's persistent injury problems in recent years suggest their situation is worse than that of most other teams.
A notable example was the Champions League match against Club Brugge on December 10, 2025, when Arsenal were without seven players: Saliba, Gabriel, Cristhian Mosquera, Rice, Havertz, Trossard and Max Dowman. Rice was absent through illness. Excluding illness, Arsenal have suffered 95 injuries since the start of the 2024-25 Premier League season. Only Brighton & Hove Albion have more, with 97.
Last summer, the club began a major overhaul of its medical team. The starting point was the hiring of Spanish physiotherapist Joaquin Acevedo, whom Arteta met more than 20 years ago when Acevedo worked at Real Sociedad. New additions also included Dr. Arnaldo Abrantes, Head of Medical Services, and physiotherapist Carmen Marquez, both from Aston Villa, as well as Eneko Angulo, Head of Player Rehabilitation, and fitness coach Jose Gimenez.
Arsenal have been less badly hit by injuries this season. Besides Saliba and Saka, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera have been sidelined, and Eberechi Eze recently suffered an unspecified injury.
What frustrates Arteta most is losing key players at crucial moments. The 2023 title race was derailed when Saliba had to be replaced by Holding, who could not sustain the same high defensive line and pressing. The 2024-25 title challenge fell apart after Jesus and Havertz were injured in January, leaving midfielder Merino to play as a makeshift striker.
This season, Havertz injured a knee ligament in the Premier League opener away at Manchester United and has started only seven league games since.
Perhaps the most "Arteta" thing about all this is that even after turning to NASA, Google and Apple for answers, the search for an advantage never stops.
