Arsenal are in the midst of a mini injury crisis as boss Mikel Arteta plots to deal with the demands of a hectic fixture schedule.
The Gunners are heading into the festive period with a two-point lead at the top of the Premier League and in a comfortable position in the Champions League.
However, two victories in their last five league matches, including the defeat at Aston Villa, could be a sign that cracks are starting to appear.
Including Wednesday’s contest with Club Brugge, Arsenal have six games before the New Year, including the EFL Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace.
Arsenal injury latest
Declan Rice – illness
The midfielder will sit out of the clash against Club Brugge after Arteta confirmed he is struggling with illness.
Rice had been dealing with a calf niggle but recovered in time to play the full 90 minutes against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Arteta confirmed he wanted to play in the Champions League, but he determined that a period of rest is most appropriate before the weekend.
He said: “He will have a couple of days to rest and to get his body right. But today, already, he was very keen to be able to play. But unfortunately, he’s not.”
Return: Wolves (H) December 13
Leandro Trossard – calf issue
Leandro Trossard came off the bench at half-time at the weekend but was substituted late on after an ongoing calf issue flared up again.
He’ll also miss the trip to Club Brugge, and his fitness will be assessed for the weekend’s home game with Wolves.
Arteta will not want to rush him back and risk a recurrence of the injury, particularly against a side that sits rock-bottom of the table.
The Arsenal manager said: “Leo again picked up another knock in an area where he had the issue, and I don’t expect that it’s going to be long, but unfortunately, he cannot be here.”
Potential return: Everton (A) December 20
William Saliba – unspecified knock
Defender Saliba is edging closer to a return, having missed the last three matches with an injury picked up in training.
It was suggested that the centre-back could recover to face Aston Villa but remain sidelined as he continues his recovery.
Arteta said on Tuesday: “William is still not available.”
That suggests that the Wolves game may come too soon, and another week’s recovery could be in order.
Given Arsenal’s shortage of central defenders, he’ll be eager to bring Saliba back into the squad sooner rather than later without risking aggravating his issue.
Potential return: Everton (A) December 20
Gabriel – thigh injury
There can’t be anymore more infuriating for managers when their key players pick up an injury on international duty.
Arsenal received news of Gabriel’s thigh issue while he was playing for Brazil in their 2-0 victory over Senegal on November 15.
Arteta provided an update on November 21, saying: “Gabi is going to be out for weeks.”
His last update came after the victory over Brentford a week ago, in which he added: “Big Gabi is doing very well, but that’s weeks as well.”
There’s no official date on his recovery, but Gabriel could be out until the beginning of the New Year.
Potential return: Early January
Max Dowman – ankle injury
Arsenal youngster Max Dowman is the latest player to be struck down with injury and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
The 15-year-old is expected to be out for around two months after picking up the injury in a friendly between the Gunners’ U21 side and Manchester United on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta said: “Max, unfortunately, he picked up an injury last weekend and he had to come off, so we did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks.”
Return date: Mid February
Kai Havertz – knee injury
The forward has not featured since the opening day of the season following a knee injury against Manchester United. He has since undergone a minor operation.
Arteta said at the beginning of December that Havertz still “needs some time” but confirmed it’s a “matter of weeks.” He said: “Matter of weeks; let’s see how it evolves in the next few weeks.
He’s doing really well, he’s doing stuff on the pitch, but I think he needs some time.”
Cristhian Mosquera – ankle injury
The centre-back picked up an ankle injury during the victory over Brentford after going into a challenge with Kevin Schade before half-time.
Following his diagnosis, Arteta confirmed his injury was worse than first feared.
He said: “He’s going to be out for weeks, unfortunately, it’s much more than what we expected. But the player was feeling it, so he’s going to be out for weeks.”
