Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that both Cristhian Mosquera and Max Dowman will remain on the treatment table for several more weeks.
Providing an update on the pair’s fitness prior to the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea, Arteta said:
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“[Max] is very similar to Mosquera. Very similar injuries, very similar time frames. Both evolving really well, but they’re not training yet, so they’re still a few weeks away.”
Both Mosquera and Dowman have been sidelined since the beginning of December with ankle injuries.
Mosquera may have suffered a setback
It was reported by trusted BBC reporter Sami Mokbel that the 21-year-old was expected to be unavailable for around six weeks.
That would suggest Mosquera should be nearing a return to training now, but it appears we won’t see him in action before the start of February at the very least.
The Spaniard had made a very promising start to life at the Emirates following his summer move from Valencia, but the injury he sustained against Brentford last month was a pretty serious one.
At the time, Arteta described the issue as “complicated”, and that could give us an indication as to why the recovery has not been straightforward either.
Dowman is still on course for his Arsenal comeback
Arteta’s remarks on the teenager are somewhat less surprising. When he sustained the injury playing for the Under 21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United, it was claimed that he could be sidelined for up to two months.
That means a return in the first week of February was already pencilled in. As long as Mosquera doesn’t suffer any further complications, there is a decent chance that both players could make their comebacks at roughly the same time.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here