Arsenal injury update: William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, Kai Havertz and Gabriel latest news and return dates ahead of clashes with Club Brugge and Wolves this week…

Arsenal injury update: Latest news and return dates for William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera, and Gabriel.

The Gunners are facing significant defensive challenges ahead of their matches against Club Brugge and Wolves this week.

Arsenal is grappling with a defensive selection crisis as injuries continue to impact them during this hectic season.

The Gunners were without their primary centre-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel, for Saturday’s dramatic last-minute 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, which has thrown the Premier League title race into disarray.

Cristhian Mosquera is also unavailable after being forced off during the midweek victory over Brentford.

This situation compelled Mikel Arteta to deploy his sixth different central defensive pairing in just 22 matches across all competitions this season, with summer acquisition Piero Hincapie – now the only fit senior centre-back for Arsenal – partnered with Jurrien Timber, while Ben White played at right-back.

The lack of experienced players led Arteta to include Marli Salmon on the bench at Villa Park, despite the academy defender only having turned 16 in August.

To exacerbate Arsenal’s woes, Riccardo Calafiori – who appeared to be struggling physically after the match, as seen in circulating video footage – received his fifth yellow card of the season in the second half, resulting in a suspension for the upcoming visit from bottom-placed Wolves at the Emirates Stadium next weekend.

Before that, Arteta’s league-leading team will return to Champions League action, traveling to Belgium on Wednesday night for a match against Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

They also have an upcoming trip to Everton and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace before Christmas, concluding 2025 with matches against Brighton and at home to Villa.

Here is the latest update on Arsenal’s injury situation and expected return dates as Arteta seeks some much-needed relief in defense.

Here is the most recent update on Arsenal’s injury situation and expected return dates, as Arteta seeks some relief in defense at last.

In more positive news, Declan Rice overcame a calf issue sustained against Brentford to start and complete the full 90 minutes at Villa Park. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard returned from his own calf injury, coming off the bench at half-time to score the equalizer before being substituted late in the game – a decision Arteta clarified was solely to manage his playing time.

William Saliba

Arsenal supporters were disappointed not to see Saliba participate against Villa, as Arteta had mentioned twice last week that the French international – along with Trossard – was only a few “days” away from returning from an unspecified injury sustained in training just a day before the draw with Chelsea.

He ultimately did not travel to the Midlands, and no new updates were provided from Villa Park, so we now await to see if Saliba can make his return against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

“It is a matter of days with those two, for sure,” Arteta had stated regarding Saliba and Trossard prior to the Villa match.

Expected return date: Wednesday, December 10, vs Club Brugge (A)

Cristhian Mosquera

While Rice quickly recovered from his injury sustained against Brentford, Mosquera’s situation has proven to be more serious.

Arteta mentioned in his pre-Villa press conference that the issue was “complicated” and that his fellow Spaniard would need further tests to assess its severity.

Subsequently, it was reported that Arsenal feared Mosquera could be sidelined for six to eight weeks due to an ankle injury sustained while contesting a header with the Bees’ Kevin Schade shortly before half-time.

Arteta did not provide a specific timeline after the defeat to Villa but acknowledged that Mosquera was facing a period on the sidelines with an injury that was more serious than initially anticipated – a significant setback for a player who had once again made a positive impact while starting alongside Hincapie in the absence of Saliba and Gabriel.

“Unfortunately, he will be sidelined for several weeks, which is more than we anticipated,” Arteta stated. “The player was aware of his condition, so he will indeed be out for weeks.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Gabriel

Arsenal significantly felt the absence of Gabriel’s leadership, experience, and composure during the match against Villa. He has been missing since he sustained an adductor injury while representing Brazil in a friendly against Senegal at the Emirates on November 15, making him arguably their most impactful player this season.

Initially, Arteta mentioned that the 27-year-old, who is making positive strides in his recovery, would be out for “weeks,” a status that remains unchanged according to the latest update from the manager prior to the victory over Brentford.

“Big Gabi is progressing well, but that also means weeks out,” Arteta remarked.

Potential return date: Late December/January

Kai Havertz

Arsenal’s significant injury challenges in their attacking lineup have mostly subsided in recent weeks, with the exception of Havertz.

The former Chelsea player has been unavailable since he incurred a knee injury against Manchester United during the opening weekend of the season, followed by what was termed a minor surgical procedure.

Havertz, who had already missed a substantial portion of the previous season due to a severe hamstring injury, appeared to be on the mend and preparing for his return. However, he experienced a setback, which was first disclosed by Germany’s head coach, Julian Nagelsmann.

“It’s a matter of weeks; we will see how it develops in the coming weeks,” Arteta commented on Havertz before the Brentford match. “He is progressing well and participating in activities on the pitch, but I believe he requires additional time.

“He was doing everything possible. He couldn’t advance to the next level, but now it seems we have made progress. We are all eager to have him back.

“He is a player I personally admire greatly for the contributions he makes to the team. His character and personality are invaluable, and I can see him struggling while being sidelined.”

His performance record is outstanding. He has consistently been available, and I am eager to have him rejoin the team on the field, as I believe it will provide a significant advantage for the team.

Potential return date: Late December/January