Jonas Eidevall hopes Arsenal can ‘be active’ in the winter transfer window after Miedema and Mead injuries

JONAS EIDEVALL says Vivianne Miedema sustaining a knee injury means Arsenal could be more busy in the January transfer window.

The Gunners’ head coach, 39, says the club will need to be more active following injuries to Beth Mead, 27, and Miedema.

Eidevall’s team will play Swiss side FC Zurich away in Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland.

Their final match for this year and in the Champions League group stage kicks off at 5:45 pm this evening.

It comes six days after Gunners forward Miedema, 26, ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament.

When asked if Mead’s and Miedema’s ACL injuries had altered his recruitment plans for January, Eidevall said: “Well it does a little bit.

“It makes the need for us to be more active in the January transfer window.

“I hope we can be active. It’s about finding the right players, but we have to take into consideration we’ve played 16 games here before Christmas.

“If we succeed in all the competitions that we’re in, I think we could end up playing 26 matches from January till May.

“With this of course, we need to have a squad that can handle playing 26 matches.

“We have a pretty limited amount of time so it’s an important transfer window.”;

Arsenal, who are currently top of their Champions League group, have reportedly been linked with Ajax midfielder Victoria Pelova.

On the rumours concerning interest in the player, 23, who has netted three goals in eight Dutch top tier games this term, Eiedvall said he had ‘no comment’.

Players’ workloads and fixture scheduling are ongoing talking points within the sport amid the spate of injuries to footballers in the WSL and Europe’s other top divisions.

Eidevall, Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman and Bayern Munich Women’s chief Alexander Straus are among the coaches who have flagged the need for more rest time for players.

And while Eidevall reckons solving scheduling challenges will not be a ‘quick fix’, he believes increased communication and compromise between clubs and international coaches is key.

The Gunners chief added: “Some of these things will not be a quick fix, because it’s scheduling.

“When we’re playing international club football or national team football, that’s obviously decided many years in advance.

“Here we can be able to take the experience so hopefully next time, we’ll decide on our own schedule that we can adapt.

“Then there are quicker fixes – and I’m not going to let this narrative be spoiled as a result of Viv getting injured – but the way the Netherlands have managed their players in this period has been formidable.

“They’re really trying to get the player-first approach and we try to cooperate together with them as well.

“That’s what we need to bring our attention to as coaches at the moment.

“That’s to say we can’t change the schedule now but we can improve and increase our communication and we have to understand that all of us have to give.

“There is no way we can make decisions that are only looking at our own interests. Both parties have to give in order to benefit the players.”;

Arsenal, who were beaten 1-0 by Lyon last Thursday, hope to round off their group stage efforts with a win against Zurich later.

The Gunners have already qualified for the contest’s quarter-final stage having picked up three wins, a draw and a loss from their last five games.

Eidevall’s side, who are currently top of Group C and level on points with Lyon and aim to remain in pole position.

The Arsenal boss added: “You want to have as many advantages as possible in this competition when you reach the quarter-final stage.

“There are going to be eight brilliant teams here.

“But of course, we would like to go there as number one if that’s possible.

“It’s also important to not come to the quarter-finals with too many yellow cards.

“We experienced that against Wolfsburg last season.

“It was really difficult for us coming into playing those games with so many players getting close to suspensions.

“We have managed that part much, much better and have had much better discipline.”;