Arsenal support staff member leaves for Qatar | OneFootball

Arsenal sports therapist Antony Stuart has left the club to take a job in Qatar, after seven years with the Gunners.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: David Raya of Arsenal receives medical treatment during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail broke the news this week that Arsenal’s senior masseuse Antony Stuart had left the club to take up a role with the Qatar Football Association.

Stuart had also previously worked at Motherwell and Brighton and Hove Albion, but he spent the longest time with the Gunners.

The sports therapist was with Arsenal for so long that he initially joined under Arsene Wenger’s reign. He remained with the club through Unai Emery’s spell, Freddie Ljungberg’s interim job, and the entirety of Mikel Arteta’s managerial career so far.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, applauds the fans following the team’s victory during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2024. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

After seven years at London Colney, Stuart is now leaving to become a soft tissue therapist with the Qatar Football Association.

Arsenal have had some turnover in their key medical staff over the last year or two, with Gary O’Driscoll joining Manchester United to be replaced by Zafar Iqbal of Crystal Palace.

Initially, that change appeared to be a positive one, with Arsenal only suffering a couple of significant injuries in the 2023/24 season. But there’s always an element of chance with injuries, and luck has certainly been against the Gunners this campaign.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka of England reacts as he leaves the field to be substituted after receiving medical treatment to an injury during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Greece at Wembley Stadium on October 10, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

It’s hard to blame Arsenal for many of the Gunners’ recent injuries, with the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka picking up their problems on international duty.

But with a lot of demand in the medical treatment centre right now, you’d hope Arsenal have people lined up to replace any departing staff.