Arsenal news: Opinion – Injuries were coming and Gunners ‘need to be better at preparing for the worst’

As Gabriel Martinelli lay clutching his hamstring at St James’ Park during Wednesday’s defeat in the Carabao Cup, two thoughts crossed my mind. One: this is a disaster. And two: I told you so.

I warned last week it was only a matter of time before we lost another of our forward players, leaving us with only the bare bones of an attacking unit. Less than a week later, here we are (although I confess I did not think it would come quite that soon).

Going into a break off the back of a loss is never welcomed, and discussion has turned to what this injury says about Mikel Arteta’s squad-building ability. One of the marks of a great manager is how they curate a group of players, not just a starting XI.

Last season, it is fair to say that we were lucky with injuries, with key players staying fit for the vast majority of games.

But that was an exception. This campaign is the rule – our best players will get injured. If Arteta has learned one thing from this, it is that we need to be better at preparing for the worst. It can and will happen.

Fans are now placing a huge amount of hope on Arsenal’s trip to Dubai. It represents an opportunity to rest and regroup – and of course for Ben White to top up his already impressive tan.

January was a brutal, bruising month for the Gunners, but with a slightly kinder run of fixtures coming up, fans can be hopeful that, on their return, Arsenal will remember they are actually quite good. Let’s not forget this is a team that put five past the defending champions just over a week ago.

As well as the transformative nature of Dubai’s balmy climate, fans might also feel buoyed by Liverpool’s slip-up in the FA Cup. With all the obvious caveats that this was a largely inexperienced Reds side, it still shows that they can be beaten.

Arsenal must return from their training camp believing that, if the opportunity presents itself to close the gap on Liverpool, they must take it.

As we enter the final third of the season, time is running out.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast