Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued an update on the fitness of Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera following the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Brentford, a result that moved them five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Mosquera was the first casualty of the night, leaving the pitch in the 44th minute after landing awkwardly from an aerial challenge with Kevin Schade. The Colombian defender received treatment before being replaced by Jurrien Timber. Rice later followed, limping off in the 83rd minute after appearing to suffer a calf problem.
Arteta confirmed after the match that both players will require further assessment to determine the severity of their injuries. The manager admitted the early signs were not encouraging but emphasised that more clarity would come after medical checks.
He also highlighted the strain on his already stretched defensive options, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães sidelined. The potential absence of Mosquera adds to a growing list of concerns as the fixture schedule intensifies.
Arteta acknowledged the physical load placed on his squad, pointing to the tight turnaround between matches and its impact on player welfare. He urged for better scheduling to support recovery, noting that players are being pushed to their limits.
“Yes, obviously it’s never good news,” Arteta told reporters (via The Standard) 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 out as well. So we have to adapt.”
Regarding Mosquera, Arteta said the club is still awaiting detailed feedback, as the defender could not specify whether the issue was with his knee or ankle. He stressed that the medical team will need time to determine the full extent of the injury.
“The thing is playing a lot of minutes, but also 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.
“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.”
Despite the victory and Arsenal’s strong league position, the mounting injuries present a major challenge as the Gunners navigate a congested run of fixtures.
