Arsenal face Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round this weekend with Mikel Arteta set to welcome back one player from injury
13:13, 10 Jan 2026Updated 13:14, 10 Jan 2026
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Kai Havertz is on course to be in Arsenal's matchday squad for the FA Cup third round tie against Portsmouth
View 2 Images
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Kai Havertz is on course to be in Arsenal's matchday squad for the FA Cup third round tie against Portsmouth(Image: (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))
Mikel Arteta has provided Arsenal injury updates on Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie. The Gunners are set to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round this Sunday with Arteta confirming one of those players is set to return.
Injury issues have plagued Arsenal this season, but they have lessened alongside the end of the hectic Christmas and New Year period. A fresh concern did emerge in Thursday's 0-0 draw against Liverpool as Piero Hincapie was forced off.
Myles Lewis-Skelly came on as his replacement with Riccardo Calafiori still out injured. Arteta's pre-match press conference covered the latest updates on the Italian international and Havertz with the latter set to feature on Sunday afternoon after a two-game absence to manage his load.
The hope will be that Ethan Nwaneri is also handed game time having played just 21 minutes since the November international break. With all of that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest updates on Arsenal's injured stars and when they could return.
Kai Havertz
Havertz has recovered from a knee injury that kept him out for months and is expected to feature in the squad to face Portsmouth.
The Germany international has not appeared in Arsenal's last two matchday squads after returning to the fold against Aston Villa last month.
What Arteta said: "If everything goes well, I think he’s going to be in the squad again in the next few days. He trains well, he’s increased his load, he’s coping with that really well. And it will be great if we can have him."
Potential return date: Portsmouth (A) - Feb 11.
Piero Hincapie
Hincapie has undergone scans after suffering a muscle injury in the draw with Liverpool and though no prognosis has yet emerged, he is likely to miss Sunday's cup tie.
What Arteta said: "I don’t know, we have to see the extent of what happened to Piero. He could not carry on in the second half, so I don’t know exactly what it is."
Potential return date: N/A.
Riccardo Calafiori
The Portsmouth game will come too soon for Calafiori to return from injury, but he could be back for the visit of Manchester United the following weekend.
What Arteta said: "I think that game is going to be too early for him."
Potential return date: Manchester United (H) - Feb 17.
Arsenal defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera
View 2 Images
Arsenal defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera are both out injured(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Cristhian Mosquera
Mosquera is also unlikely to feature at Fratton Park, and though he could also be back to face Manchester United, he is likely to be carefully managed having been out since early December.
What Arteta said: "I think pretty soon they have to go to the last stage of the rehab, I think everything goes well, hopefully very soon they will be available for selection."
Potential return date: Manchester United (H) - Feb 17.
Article continues below
Max Dowman
Dowman has been absent for the last month with an ankle injury.
What Arteta said: "Max picked up an injury last weekend and had to come off. So he did some scans, and he is going to be out for weeks."
Potential return date: Late January.