Arsenal’s Defensive Woes Worsen as Cristhian Mosquera Exits Brentford Clash
Arsenal’s problems with injured defenders have intensified, as Cristhian Mosquera became the most recent player to suffer a physical setback, following William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The 21-year-old central defender was substituted during the first half against Brentford after sustaining a knock. Despite this further fitness issue, Mikel Arteta’s squad managed to earn a 2-0 home victory, securing all three points.
Although Arsenal has enjoyed an exceptional start to their 2025-26 season, having lost only one match in 14 Premier League fixtures, and they are currently considered strong contenders for the league title.
However, the club has faced an unfortunate period regarding player fitness, having to manage without several key first-team players since the season began.
While important players such as Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke were back in the starting lineup against Brentford, key defenders Saliba and Gabriel remained sidelined.
With the primary central defenders unavailable, Arteta opted to start new signings Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.
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Nevertheless, the team then suffered another injury setback when Mosquera had to be substituted just before half-time.
Arteta Shares Latest on Saliba and Gabriel
Ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League match, coach Arteta provided updates on the fitness of Saliba and Gabriel.
Regarding Saliba, Arteta stated that the player has a minor issue. He anticipates it will be resolved in a matter of days, expressing hope for his availability for tomorrow’s game.
Arteta recounted a previous ankle injury as an unfortunate and accidental occurrence that sidelined Saliba for several weeks.
He mentioned Saliba’s attempt to play at Anfield, where he experienced discomfort and subsequently had to withdraw.
The current injury was also described as quite unusual, but Arteta remains optimistic that it will only lead to a short absence of a few days.
Turning to Gabriel, Arteta confirmed that the defender is recovering well. However, his return to play is still expected to be weeks away.
Leandro Trossard, who exited the pitch with discomfort during last week’s Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich, underwent medical evaluations on Friday, which identified a minor calf ailment.
Nevertheless, manager Arteta expects the Belgian attacker to be available again in a few days.
Concerning Kai Havertz’s condition, who has not participated in a match since the season’s inaugural fixture against Manchester United, the Spaniard stated: “We are all keen for his return.
He is a player I personally value greatly for what he brings to the team – his character and personality. I witness his frustration at being sidelined. It will be a matter of weeks; we will observe his development over the coming weeks.
He is progressing well and undertaking activities on the field, but I believe he still requires some recovery time.”
Arsenal experienced further injury setbacks, as key midfielder Declan Rice was also compelled to withdraw from the game due to an issue with his ankle or leg. He was substituted by forward Viktor Gyokeres, who himself had recently recovered from a prior ailment.
Despite these player availability problems, the team ultimately emerged victorious, securing three essential points in their home encounter thanks to goals scored by Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka.
This triumph allowed them to re-establish a five-point advantage at the top of the league standings. Their upcoming fixture is a challenging away match against Aston Villa in the Premier League this Saturday.
