Arsenal have a few more injury concerns as they prepare for a return to action a week on Saturday. Mikel Arteta’s side saw their seven-game winning streak at the start of the campaign snapped in a rather surprising manner against Brighton last time out. Outfought and outclassed at the Amex Stadium, the Gunners were convincingly beaten 3-0.
Due to a change to the length of the first international break this season, Arsenal have to wait another 12 days for an attempt to put things right when they welcome Leeds to the Emirates Stadium. By then, the Gunners will hope to have Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White available for selection, while William Saliba could very well be nearing a return to action.
Although Jurrien Timber started against Brighton and was back in the Netherlands squad at the weekend, Arsenal’s injury issues have not eased completely with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz among those being forced to withdraw from international duty.
Kai Havertz injury news
Havertz was forced off during Germany’s Nations League draw with the Netherlands last Thursday. The forward left the pitch with a suspected hamstring issue after being caught by a high challenge from Quinten Timber - brother of his Arsenal team-mate Jurrien - in the first half.
The decision was then made for Havertz to leave the Germany camp on Friday and return to Arsenal, with the German Football Association (DFB) stating that he had suffered a “muscle strain”. He will undergo further tests with the club’s medical staff, but there is optimism that he has not suffered a long-term injury.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
Declan Rice and Piero Hincapie updates
Rice, last Monday, was one of five players to drop out of the England squad through injury. Rice has struggled with niggling injuries over the past 12 months and will now miss England’s Nations League triple-header against Czechia (2x) and Croatia after sitting out the 3-2 loss to Spain at the weekend. It’s not believed that the midfielder is currently carrying an injury, rather he is being given some rest at Arsenal in preparation for some huge games.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
Piero Hincapie was left out of Ecuador’s squad for the international window amid ongoing fitness concerns. The left-sided defender has only started once for Arsenal across all competitions this season and missed out completely against Ipswich in the Carabao Cup.
Having returned to the matchday squad for the loss to Brighton, it was assumed everything was fine but new Ecuador manager Marcelo Gallardo confirmed Hincapie was left out of his first squad because of injury. It is unclear as to how serious the issue is, though a three-week break quite possibly came at the ideal time for Hincapie.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and William Saliba latest
White picked up a groin issue in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on September 12, subsequently missing the Carabao Cup win over Ipswich three days later. The defender, not named in the England squad, was thought be in contention for the showdown against Brighton following comments from Arteta in the pre-match press conference.
“Ben is all good, we have another training session this afternoon, so very positive about everybody,” Arteta said. However, White was not in the matchday squad against his former club, meaning Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi had to share right-back duty after Timber went off in the second half. Though, taking Arteta's pre-Brighton update into consideration, White should be fine after the international break.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
Mosquera has been out of action since he was forced off in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on August 31, and has now missed Arsenal's last five matches across all competitions, including the loss to Brighton. However, the defender travelled with Arsenal to the Amex Stadium, despite not being named in the matchday squad. Spotted in his tracksuit, Mosquera then watched the warm-ups from the touchline, as the extra man often does for the Gunners.
As Arsenal are now not in action for another two weeks due to the extended international break, that should give Mosquera a chance to fully recover from the muscle issue.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
Arsenal’s defensive strength, even without Saliba, had been evident right up until the Brighton game. The Gunners are not expected to have the Frenchman available for a while yet as he has been sidelined since July with a back injury, though he has been named in the Champions League squad. The good news is the defender doesn't need surgery, but it may be after the November international break before he is back in action.
A statement released in July read: “Specialist reviews on William’s return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation. Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme. William’s rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.”
Potential return date: Winter 2026
