Mikel Arteta provides Arsenal injury update after double scare

Arteta confronts fresh Arsenal injuries after Emirates win

Mikel Arteta struck a weary tone after Arsenal’s polished 2-0 victory over Brentford, a night that should have felt celebratory but instead became dominated by concerns over injuries to Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera.

The Gunners moved five points clear at the summit, with goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka settling the contest, yet the mood was tempered by another round of personnel trouble. Mosquera departed in the 44th minute after landing awkwardly while challenging Kevin Schade, eventually replaced by Jurrien Timber following lengthy treatment. Rice then became the second casualty late on, withdrawn in the 83rd minute after clutching his calf.

As always, Arteta offered clarity where he could and caution where he could not.

“Yes, obviously it’s never good news,” Arteta told reporters after the game.

“Declan had to come off, we don’t know. We have to see tomorrow what he’s got. And Mosquera is the other one that is out.

“Obviously we have Gabriel and Willy are out as well. So we have to adapt.”

Rice concern adds to Arteta scheduling frustration

Asked further about Rice, Arteta highlighted the mounting demands on his squad rather than offering specific reassurance.

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“[Rice] can walk. He cannot play.

“The thing is playing a lot of minutes, but as well when. Now we play Wednesday night and we have to play Saturday morning as well.

“We can play minutes, but if they can please give us just a little bit more time to recover and to make the well-being of these players a little bit easier, that would be great.”

In a season already shaped by tight calendars and relentless intensity, Arteta’s frustration mirrored a manager constantly juggling ambition with availability, as midfield depth again comes under strain.

Mosquera assessment deepens Arsenal defensive worries

Arsenal’s defensive options were already stretched by the injuries to William Saliba and Gabriel before Mosquera joined the list. The uncertainty surrounding the Colombian only amplified the sense of fragility.

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“We have to wait and see [with Mosquera]. It’s probably part of the knee or ankle, we don’t know. He could not really tell us exactly how it was, but he wasn’t able to continue.”

Saliba is expected to return within a “matter of days”, a timeline Arteta hopes aligns with Saturday’s visit to Aston Villa. That return could prove pivotal with Arsenal facing a demanding run of fixtures.

Emirates performance offers short-term reassurance

Despite upheaval at the back, Arsenal remained largely untroubled by Brentford. Merino’s early header from Ben White’s cross set the tone, with the visitors registering little sustained threat. Saka’s stoppage-time finish added gloss to a professional display that masked deeper issues beneath the surface.

For Arteta, the victory delivered points but little peace. Arsenal continue to lead the way, yet the accumulating injuries threaten to define the weeks ahead perhaps as much as the football itself.