Arsenal are continuing to manage several players on the sidelines with injuries following their victory over Aston Villa. The Gunners secured a commanding 4-1 triumph over Villa in Tuesday evening's Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta's team extended their advantage over Manchester City to five points with the victory over Unai Emery's men, though they have now played one fixture more than their title rivals. Four players were absent from Arsenal's Villa triumph, with Declan Rice, Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori and Max Dowman all unavailable.
Arsenal did welcome back Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Ben White to their matchday squad for the Villa victory, with all three players having previously been absent due to injury concerns.
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Here, Mirror Sport examines Arsenal's current injury situation and expected return dates
Declan RiceDeclan Rice was absent from Arsenal's Villa victory with a knee injury sustained during the previous fixture against Brighton.
Arteta confirmed that Rice's injury is "improving" but did not provide a specific timeframe for his comeback.
“Depends, so that swelling has to come right down for him to have the chance to function,” Arteta said. “He wasn't able to do that today yet, he's improving, but let's see what happens in the next couple of days.”
Potential return date: Bournemouth (A) - January 3.
Cristhian MosqueraCristhian Mosquera has been unavailable for several weeks with an injury, which Arteta confirmed earlier this month was more serious than originally anticipated.
"He's going to be out for weeks,” Arteta stated on December 6. “Unfortunately, it's much more than what we expected. But the player was feeling it, so he's going to be out for weeks."
Potential return date: January 2026.
Riccardo CalafioriRiccardo Calafiori has been absent from Arsenal's last two fixtures due to an unspecified injury, despite initially being included in the matchday squad for the Brighton clash.
Calafiori sustained the injury during the warm-up before the win over the Seagulls, and there's currently no clear timeline on when the defender will be back in action.
"It's something that he felt yesterday [Friday], something very awkward that happened, and today in the warm-up he wasn’t comfortable."
Potential return date: January 2026.
Kai HavertzKai Havertz had been sidelined for more than four months following an injury sustained in August.
The Germany international returned to Arsenal's matchday squad for the win over Villa, though he remained on the bench throughout.
Potential return date: Bournemouth (A) - January 3.
Max DowmanMax Dowman picked up an ankle injury earlier this month and faces an extended period on sidelines.
Reports suggest Dowman will be unavailable for approximately two months as he recuperates from the setback.
Potential return date: February 2026.