Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has ruled out Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera for the game against Bournemouth this weekend.
When asked about the fitness of the two defenders at his pre-match press conference on Friday morning, Arteta replied:
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“They are both out.”
Journalists did not follow up with another question asking how long the pair would be sidelined for.
What has Arteta said about Calafiori’s injury?
The Italian international pulled out of the starting lineup for the 2-1 win over Brighton last month. Explaining why Calafiori was not able to start the game, Arteta revealed that he picked up the issue the day before the match:
“It’s something that he felt yesterday, something very awkward that happened, and today in the warm-up, he was’t comfortable.”
While no futher details about Calafiori’s injury have been provided, it is fair to assume that he sustained some sort of muscular problem.
When can Arsenal expect to have Mosquera back?
Calafiori’s teammate sustained an ankle injury at the beginning of December during a 2-0 victory against Brighton. We do have a better idea of when the defender will make his comeback.
The BBC reported that Mosquera would need at least six weeks to return to match fitness, so that would suggest he could be back available in mid-January.
Obviously, the 21-year-old has already been ruled out for the weekend, but he may also miss another three to four matches, depending on how his recovery is going.
Mosquera is not expected to feature against Liverpool, in the FA Cup third round tie versus Bournemouth, or the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
He may have an outside chance to face the Blues, but the league match versus Nottingham Forest or the next Champions League group fixture against Inter Milan are probably more realistic target dates.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here