Arsenal may have strengthened their grip at the top of the Premier League table with a solid 2–0 victory over Brentford, but Mikel Arteta’s post-match tone was far from celebratory as injuries continue to pile up for his side. The win keeps the Gunners in commanding form, yet the manager was left frustrated by the growing number of key players sidelined.
The injury situation is reaching a worrying point for Arsenal, especially with crucial fixtures approaching and squad depth being severely tested. Softfootball earlier reported that William Saliba had picked up a minor knock before the Chelsea clash though he is close to returning, while Gabriel has been out for weeks after suffering an injury with Brazil during the international break. With Mosquera now joining the list of casualties, the defensive line is stretched thinner than Arteta would prefer.
According to Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle, Arteta revealed the latest setback within the squad, saying:
We lost Gabriel, then we lost Saliba… and now Mosquera has also suffered an injury. We have to wait and see. 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.
Adding to the concern, Declan Rice also had to be withdrawn during the game due to discomfort. Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle also shared that Arteta explained the situation further, saying:
Declan Rice had to come off… he can walk, he cannot play. He’s played a lot of minutes, but as well, when? Now we play Wednesday night, and we have to play Saturday morning. If they can please give us a little bit more time to recover, that would be great.
The Arsenal boss’ comments highlight a growing frustration with the relentless fixture schedule, which leaves players with little recovery time and raises the risk of repeated injuries. Despite the team’s strong form, the mounting physical toll is becoming a major storyline of their season.
As Arsenal prepare for a crucial run of fixtures, Arteta will be hoping that some of his key absentees return sooner rather than later especially with the title race heating up and the squad’s fitness being tested more than ever.
