Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera could be sidelined for six to eight weeks after picking up an ankle injury against Brentford in the Premier League, according to BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel.
The 21-year-old has been deputising for the injured William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence in recent games, but he could now be ruled out until next year.
Mosquera sustained an ankle injury against the Bees during the opening half on Wednesday, and Mokbel reveals that the Spaniard could be out of action for six to eight weeks.
The £31 million-rated star will undergo further tests on the setback, but the early indication is that he won’t be available for selection in the near future, which is a huge blow for Arsenal.
Jurrien Timber came on to replace Mosquera in the right centre-back position against the Bees. He could have a similar role against Aston Villa in Saturday’s early kick-off at Villa Park.
Timber has been playing in the position for the Netherlands this campaign. The 24-year-old looks poised to partner Piero Hincapie in the heart of the defence against Unai Emery’s side.
Manager Mikel Arteta has repeated that William Saliba could be available in a ‘matter of days‘. Judging by this, he may not make the starting XI in tomorrow’s encounter against the Villans.
With Timber in central defence, Ben White has another huge opportunity to start at right-back.
The Englishman was fantastic against the Bees in midweek. He won 10 duels and four tackles alongside four recoveries. He capped his performance with a fine assist for Mikel Merino’s goal.
Arsenal face a huge challenge against Villa tomorrow. The Gunners have won just once in the previous four meetings, which was a 2-0 win at Villa Park during the 2024/25 campaign.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com