Arsenal injury update: Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel latest news and return dates
Declan Rice has been added back into Arsenal’s injury watch ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Brugge. The Gunners are already navigating a defensive selection crisis as injuries mount during a busy spell of the season.
This situation has forced head coach Mikel Arteta to deploy his sixth different central defensive pairing of the campaign in 22 matches so far, with summer recruit Piero Hincapie — Arsenal’s only fit senior center-back — partnering with Jurrien Timber, while Ben White operates at right-back.
With limited experienced options, Arteta even named academy defender Marli Salmon on the bench for the Villa Park match, the 16-year-old having only turned 16 in August.
To complicate matters further, Riccardo Calafiori collected his fifth yellow card of the season in the second half after appearing to struggle on social media footage, meaning he will serve a suspension for the visit of bottom-placed Wolves at the Emirates next weekend.
Before that, Arsenal return to Champions League duties as Arteta’s league leaders head to Belgium on Wednesday night to face Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium. They then have a trip to Everton and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace before Christmas, closing 2025 with a match against Brighton and a home fixture with Villa.
Here are the latest Arsenal injury updates and return dates as Arteta hopes for a defensive boost at last.
Declan Rice
Rice pulled up with a calf issue late on against Brentford, but afterward he insisted the problem was minor and no doubt kept him involved in discussions about his availability for the Villa clash. He started and completed the full 90 minutes, suggesting the setback wasn’t long-lasting.
Potential return date: Wednesday, December 10, at Club Brugge (away) or Saturday, December 13, vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (home).
Absence: Rice did not train with the group on Monday.
Leandro Trossard
Trossard also went off with a calf problem during the early stages of the Champions League win over Bayern Munich, missing subsequent ties with Chelsea, Brentford, and Villa. He was deemed only “days” away from returning ahead of the weekend and earned a place on the bench at Villa, entering at half-time and scoring the equalizer seven minutes later.
He then came off for Gabriel Martinelli late on, with Arteta noting he could only manage a limited number of minutes.
Like Rice, Trossard trained indoors on Monday rather than outside, leaving his fitness for the Brugge game in doubt.
Potential return date: Wednesday, December 10, at Club Brugge (away) or Saturday, December 13, vs Wolves (home).
Impact: Trossard’s impact came quickly when he reappeared at Villa Park, scoring soon after his introduction.
William Saliba
Arsenal fans were disappointed not to see Saliba feature against Villa, with Arteta stating last week that the French defender — alongside Trossard — was “days” away from returning from a training knock suffered a day before the Chelsea clash.
He did not travel to the Midlands and did not train on Monday ahead of the Brugge trip. Fans await another update from Arteta on Tuesday.
“These two are certainly a matter of days away,” Arteta had said regarding Saliba and Trossard prior to the Villa game.
Potential return date: Saturday, December 13, vs Wolves (home).
Cristhian Mosquera
While Rice recovered quickly, Mosquera’s ankle issue proved more serious. Pre-Villa press conference, Arteta described the problem as “complicated,” with further tests planned.
Reports later suggested Mosquera could be out for six to eight weeks, following a header contest with Bees’ Kevin Schade just before half-time. Arteta did not provide a precise timeline after the Villa defeat but admitted the injury was more severe than expected and would keep him sidelined for a number of weeks.
Potential return date: Unknown.
Momentum for Mosquera has been strong since joining Arsenal from Valencia in the summer, so this setback is a notable blow.
Gabriel
Gabriel’s absence has been felt due to his leadership and composure, with Arsenal missing a key influencer since an adductor injury sustained while with Brazil in a friendly against Senegal at the Emirates on November 15. Arteta indicated the 27-year-old would be out for weeks and remains optimistic about his return, though no precise date has been set.
Potential return date: Late December/January.
Kai Havertz
Havertz’s attack-minded options have thinned recently, though injuries have eased elsewhere. The former Chelsea man has not played since a knee issue during the season’s opening weekend and later underwent a minor operation. He initially showed progress, but a setback was later disclosed by Germany’s coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Update from Arteta suggested the timeline remains a matter of weeks, with Havertz continuing to step up gradually. His absence has been a notable blow given his quality and character, which Arteta emphasizes as a long-term boost when back.
Potential return date: Late December/January.
