Ever since Mikel Arteta took charge of Arsenal, he has intimated the squad are not as fit as he would like.



In his post-match interview after the New Year’s Day win over Manchester United, David Luiz appeared to admit as much when he said “physically, we are not ready.”



Certainly, Arteta’s team have struggled to maintain the intensity the Spaniard demands, frequently tiring within games and failing to perform for the full 90 minutes. Now, their squad is being stretched thinner by muscular problems.



Arsenal’s former director of high performance Darren Burgess might know why.



“Hard work is the best form of injury prevention and injury protection,” Burgess, who left the club at the end of last season, tells The Athletic. “You should be slowly but deliberately building up people’s training tolerance because then, in December and January, when the games come thick and fast, the players are used to...