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Arsenal have sacked their head doctor, Zafar Iqbal, after his two-year stay in North London, according to The Telegraph.
It is no secret that Arsenal suffered a lot with injuries last season, despite winning the Premier League title.
They played 63 games last season and had a number of injuries to key players such as Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurriën Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.
They ended up winning despite that because they had some of the best players in the world in every position, as well as decent depth to go with it.
Arsenal just made someone pay for last season's injury nightmare
It was reported by The Telegraph that the doctor was informed on Monday that the decision had been made to part ways and look elsewhere for the club's next head doctor.
According to the report, the news came as a major shock to both Iqbal and members of Arsenal's medical department.
It is clearly an attempt to improve player fitness ahead of next season, but it depends on how much of the issue was down to Iqbal's limitations as a team doctor and how much was simply the result of wear and tear from a long and physically demanding campaign that has effectively continued with the World Cup.
Obviously, the club has to make some changes, and even if Iqbal is not completely at fault, it may be worth bringing in someone who can make slight adjustments to players' fitness plans in order to help them get through a longer and more sustainable season with fewer injuries.
Part of that process is sacking the current doctor, but another important part will be bringing in a really strong replacement.
If Arsenal were going to make this decision, now is probably the best time because it gives them around two and a half months to find someone who is better suited to whatever requirements they have for the players.
If the same injury problems continue next season under a different doctor, then it may simply be a reflection of the increasing physical demands of modern football. However, that is a risk Arsenal seemingly felt they had to take.
Iqbal joined the club in February 2024 and had served as head doctor for more than two years prior to his dismissal.
There is currently no news regarding who Arsenal will bring in as his replacement, and it remains to be seen what happens in that regard.
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