Cristhian Mosquera injury timeline emerges as Arsenal plan hatched

Cristhian Mosquera could be set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury in Arsenal’s clash with Brentford, with a fresh timeline appearing over his potential return

Arsenal star Cristhian Mosquera could be set for a spell out of action, following an injury he picked up in the side’s 2-0 win over Brentford. According to BBC Sport, there is a suggestion that the defender could miss at least six weeks of action with a fresh ankle issue.

It comes as another potential blow to the Arsenal backline, which has been thin on the ground in recent weeks, due to other injuries. Gabriel Magalhaes has been out with a thigh problem that is expected to leave him out of action for up to two months, while William Saliba has a knock.

football.london understands that Mosquera will not be part of the squad to face Aston Villa this weekend, but more details on the extent of his injury are yet to be revealed. The defender has been an important part of the team already, despite only joining in the summer and the BBC report that further tests will take place.

The 21-year-old was signed for just £13m from Valencia, adding an extra layer of depth to the Arsenal backline, following a season of injury concerns. At times, Mosquera has been asked to fill in for both Gabriel and Saliba in the back, who have both had their own small fitness issues this campaign.

With both missing out on the clashes with Chelsea and Brentford, Mikel Arteta was required to call upon him, as well as Piero Hincapie, as his centre-back duo. Mosquera was forced off in the first half of the second tie, after landing awkwardly when challenging for a header.

Jurrien Timber was brought on in his place, seeing out the rest of the match as a centre-back, keeping a clean sheet. Arteta discussed the injury issues facing his side recently when giving an update on Mosquera’s situation.

The manager said: “Mosquera is the one that is more complicated. We have another test today.” There is the potential for Saliba to return against Villa, however, as Arteta said his injury was just a “matter of days” away from recovering fully.

It leaves some questions over exactly how Arsenal will line up against Aston Villa, in another important Premier League clash. The Gunners sit top of the league, while former boss Unai Emery has got his side up to third in the division, recovering from a sluggish start to the campaign.

“For what they’ve been doing, the way they’ve been playing and winning matches, certainly it’s a team that is in great form and we know that,” Arteta said before the match. “We know obviously the manager and the incredible job he’s done there as well, so we know the task tomorrow, but we always take it as an opportunity.”

Plenty of injury concerns leave Arsenal without a fully fit squad, something Arteta also spoke about, when he said: “I hope that we are in that position [with a fit squad] and then again, we can maintain and decide for the freshness of the team and what is required on that day, what is the best squad to take. A problem that obviously a lot of clubs in this country are very familiar with.”

If Mosquera is out for six weeks, then he will miss the festive fixture run in, which includes at least ten important matches for the side – including a trip to Liverpool in early January.