Arsenal injuries and suspensions compared to Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City in title race

With an ever-growing fixture schedule at the very top of football appears to be an even longer list of absences and injuries, with availability quickly becoming a huge attribute for teams chasing titles. In the case of the Premier League, this could be a deciding factor in this season's title race.

There have been four early contenders to take a charge to the very final day, with Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City the main candidates. For the Gunners, they are hopeful of putting the disappointment of finishing second last season behind them, having the opportunity to win it this time around.

Mikel Arteta will have to navigate through some tough runs of fixtures though, having returned to the Champions League this season. Factoring in fitness, the big challenge will be balancing results with keeping players' workloads at a manageable place over the next few months.

Given that importance, here's a look at Arsenal's current injury and suspension woes and how they compare to their rivals in the title race.

The first and longest of the injuries is to Jurrien Timber, the defender that joined Arsenal from Ajax in the summer and had impressed in early viewings. However, on his debut against Nottingham Forest, a knee injury later proved to be a serious one that will keep him out for most, if not all, of the season.

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Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has been missing since late October after suffering a knock against Sevilla in the Champions League. There will be some hope that the 26-year-old will return after the international break,