Gabriel, Havertz & White: Latest Arsenal injury news and expected return dates ahead of Brighton clashplaceholder image
Gabriel, Havertz & White: Latest Arsenal injury news and expected return dates ahead of Brighton clash | Getty Images
The latest Arsenal injury news ahead of the Premier League match against Brighton - with updates on Kai Havertz and Gabriel.
Arsenal’s festive fixtures continue with a home Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday – but Mikel Arteta is likely to spend Christmas sweating over the fitness of several key players.
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães are both pushing to return after recent injury lay-offs, while Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera are among five players who could be unavailable for the match at the Emirates.
Ahead of kick-off, we’ve collected all of the latest Arsenal injury news below, along with the stricken players’ expected return dates when available.
When will Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães be back from injury?
Arteta received an early Christmas present this week when Kai Havertz, who has been unavailable since August due to a serious knee injury, returned to first-team training – but the German isn’t guaranteed to be available for the game against Brighton.
The Arsenal head coach told the media prior to the midweek match against Crystal Palace that Havertz was “progressing really well” but added that “we need to be cautious” as the forward enters the final phase of his rehabilitation. With Havertz back on grass there is every chance that he plays some part against Brighton, but he remains unlikely to start and will be eased back to full fitness over the coming weeks.
There is less clarity on the status of centre-back Gabriel Magalhães, who has missed the last nine matches with a hamstring injury. Early reports on the Brazilian’s injury suggested that he would be available again in late December and he is back on grass as he ramps up his comeback, but there are no indications that he is in full training as yet. Arteta told the media that Gabriel was “not too far” from making his return, but the 30 December match against fellow title contenders Aston Villa may be a more realistic target for him.
Will Ben White or Cristhian Mosquera be available against Brighton?
Two more defenders who have missed time in recent weeks are summer signing Cristhian Mosquera and full-back Ben White, and neither is expected to be out for much longer – but the Brighton game will most likely come too soon for both players.
Mosquera’s ankle injury is expected to keep him out until the beginning of January, while White’s recent hamstring, which Arteta stated was not considered to be a “major” issue, is likely to keep him out for at least one more match and likely more. White will be targeting the 3 January trip to Bournemouth for his return, with Mosquera likely a game or two behind, although Arteta is keeping his cards typically close to his chest.
The final player who is expected to miss out on Arsenal’s remaining matches in 2025 is wonderkid Max Dowman, who sustained an ankle injury earlier in December and will be out for “weeks,” according to Arteta. That rather vague prognosis means that an accurate return date is impossible to come by, but it would be a significant surprise if he returned before mid-January.
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