Arsenal have parted company with head of sports medicine and performance Dr Zafar Iqbal with immediate effect, ending a spell that began only in February 2024. He had arrived to fill the vacancy left when Gary O’Driscoll moved to Manchester United after 15 years at Arsenal, and he was still visible at the club’s trophy parade through Islington 10 days ago.
The move lands at a moment when Arsenal are already under pressure over fitness problems that have affected key players across the squad, which is why arsenal news around the club’s medical department is moving so quickly today. Last month, Mikel Arteta commissioned freelance physiotherapist Joaquin Acedo to carry out an independent review of Arsenal’s injury situation, after a run of setbacks that has included knee surgeries for Ben White, Gabriel Jesus and Jurrien Timber, a groin problem that ruled Timber out of Holland’s World Cup squad, a persistent back issue for William Saliba, hamstring operations for Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, a knee procedure for Havertz, surgery on a broken foot for Mikel Merino, and spells out for Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard.
Iqbal brought a broad medical background with him, having previously held senior roles at Crystal Palace and Liverpool and also spent time at Spurs and Leyton Orient. He is also chair of the FA Medical Society, which makes the departure notable beyond Arsenal’s own setup. The club has not set out replacement plans, and the connection between his exit and Arteta’s review remains unresolved.
That gap matters because the review had already been signposted months earlier: Acedo hinted at his involvement in an Instagram post as far back as September, and the question now is whether Arsenal are acting on its findings or simply reshaping the department on their own timetable. The first real clue should come when the squad returns for pre-season toward the end of July, when the club’s medical structure, and who is running it, will be easier to read.
