ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
HUGE BLOW : Cristhian Mosquera, Declan Rice injury news: Mikel Arteta update as Arsenal lose center back; Rice also off
πππππ πππ ππππππ₯ ππππππππππΊπΊπΊ
Arsenal are cursing their bad luck with injuries to center backs, and Gunners fans will be sweating on the latest Cristhian Mosquera injury news and an issue with Declan Rice too.
As for Mosquera, the Spanish center back had to go off injured in the first half of theirΒ 2-0 win against BrentfordΒ on Wednesday after appearing to suffer an ankle injury as he landed awkwardly.
With their two starting center backs William Saliba and Gabriel already watching from the stands due to injury, Mikel Arteta did not want to lose Mosquera to injury. Mosquera walked off on his own with Jurrien Timber coming on in his place at center back and Ben White at right back.
Star midfielder Declan Rice also went off with an injury in the second half, as he walked off the pitch but was pointing at his right calf after receiving some treatment.
Cristhian Mosquera, Declan Rice injury news, latest updates
Speaking after the game, Mikel Arteta said the following about Cristhian Mosqueraβs injury and an update on Declan Rice.
βWe will know more tomorrow. Letβs see how they are. Obviously they need to be tested. Declan had to come off. Letβs see and have a look,β Arteta said.
Arteta added this on Mosquera after the game: βWe have to wait and see. Itβs probably the knee or ankle. We donβt know. He could not really tell us exactly how it was, but he wasnβt able to continue.β
And he didnβt add much more detail on Rice: βHe could not carry on playing, so we have to wait and see tomorrow what happens.β
Rice himself told Sky Sports News he was βfineβ as he walked through the mixed zone after the game, so it seems like heβs escaped any big issue.
Some Arsenal fans arenβt happy that Rice started yet again but itβs pretty easy to say that now. Heβs been so influential to their long unbeaten run, Arsenal were without their two starting center backs so needed defensive solidity and the injury issue didnβt seem too serious.
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Mikel Merino will undergo surgery on a stress fracture on his foot today. Although Arsenal has not put a timeline on his recovery, he is expected to be out until the end of the season, but the player hopes to be fit for the World Cup
Mikel Merino provides Arsenal return update after surgery on foot injury: ‘Closer to being back’
Midfielder faces a fight to play again this season
Update: Mikel Merino
Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt
Mikel MerinoΒ has undergone surgery on a foot injury as theΒ ArsenalΒ midfielder begins a lengthy recovery process.
The midfielderΒ picked up the issue late in the defeat to Manchester United last month, when he came off the bench and scored.
Merino was sent to see specialists to determine the severity of the problem, and it was discovered that surgery would be required on a bone injury in his right foot.
That procedure took place on Monday, with Merino taking to Instagram to share a picture from his hospital bed.
Merino posted: “Surgery done! Already closer to be back.
“Thank you so much to everyone for your messages and love. It really gives me even more energy to face the challenge. Vamos!”
Declan Rice said in reply: “With you brother.”
Martin Zubimendi, meanwhile, paid tribute to his Spanish team-mate by copying his celebration and pointing to the stands when scoring against Sunderland on Saturday.
Merino’s fatherΒ recently confirmed that his son had suffered a stress fracture to his foot, an injury thatΒ Mikel ArtetaΒ has described as “very rare”.
Merino now faces a race to return to action before the end of the season and keep his World Cup hopes alive.
Arsenal hope thatΒ Merino will be fit to feature in May in the final weeks of the campaign, in what could be the decisive period for the club’s trophy hopes domestically and in Europe.
Asked if he expected Merino to play again this season, Arteta said:Β βWell, we hope so.
βI don’t know. Obviously, he needs to go through a procedure, which is never always positive. He’s a big player for us.
βAn athlete that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions. Yeah, that’s a big blow.
“Let’s see. It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery. How that reacts daily.”
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Gallery Β The best training snaps ahead of Sunderland clas Cristhian Mosquera tries to tackle Martin Zubimendi in training
We face Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and you can see what we’ve been up to at the Sobha Realty Training Centre ahead of the contest with our latest training gallery.
We’ll be looking to continue our positive form having won our last three matches across all competitions, including a late 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals last time out.
Our most recent Premier League game saw us thrash Leeds United 4-0, a result which extended our lead at the top of the table to six points.
To see how we’ve been preparing for our clash with the Black Cats, flick through our training gallery below, captured by club photographer Stuart MacFarlane:
Read more
FPL Focus: Magical Madueke and January deals
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
MORE ARSENAL V SUNDERLAND
Preview: Arsenal v Sunderland
Arteta’s update on Saka, Odegaard and Timber
Every word of Mikelβs pre-Sunderland presser
Mikel asks for βthe best atmosphere weβve seenβ
Goals galore! 5 big home wins against Sunderland
When a record 73,000 crowd saw us play Sunderland
How to watch Arsenal v Sunderland
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE
Hereβs the latest confirmed info on the Arsenal vs Manchester City Carabao Cup final (2025-26 EFL/Carabao Cup):
ardiola seeks rule change to make Guehi eligible for League Cup final
Manchester City beat Newcastle to set up League Cup final against Arsenal
Today
Today
π Date & Kick-off
The Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City is scheduled for Sunday, 22 March 2026 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. οΏ½
Wikipedia
Kick-off is expected to be around 4:30 pm GMT (16:30 GMT), although final broadcaster confirmation may adjust this slightly. οΏ½
The Standard
π Match Context
Arsenal reached the final by beating Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate in their semi-final. οΏ½
Reuters
Manchester City progressed with a 5-1 aggregate win over Newcastle United. οΏ½
Sky Sports
πΊ How to Watch
In the UK the final is expected to be shown on Sky Sports and free-to-air via ITV/ITVX, with pre-match coverage typically starting about an hour before kick-off. οΏ½
The Standard
π° Team News & Injury Updates
Arsenal
Mikel Merino is a major doubt for the final as heβs expected to be out for an extended period undergoing foot surgery. οΏ½
Yahoo Sports UK
Decisions like goalkeeper choice (Kepa Arrizabalaga vs David Raya) may hinge on form later in the season. οΏ½
Yahoo Sports UK
Arsenalβs squad situation could evolve through Premier League and European fixtures between now and March.
Manchester City
Key players such as Josko Gvardiol are likely to miss the final due to injury. οΏ½
Yahoo Sports UK
Some others β including John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho β are expected to be available. οΏ½
Yahoo Sports UK
Marc Guehi is currently ineligible to play in the final under competition rules after appearing for another club earlier in the tournament; Pep Guardiola has publicly questioned this rule. οΏ½
Reuters
β οΈ Note: Team news and injury status will be clearer closer to matchday as clubs confirm their squads, fitness, and starting line-ups.
π Summary
Final: Arsenal vs Manchester City (Carabao Cup final)
Date: Sunday 22 March 2026
Kick-off: ~4:30 pm GMT (subject to broadcaster confirmation)
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London οΏ½
The Standard +1
If you want the local kickoff time for your time zone (Abuja/Nigeria) or predictions for the starting line-ups once confirmed, just let me know!
-
Featured4 months agoVAR AND REFEREE ERROR Why Manchester United goal stood despite head injury to Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister
-
ARSENAL'4 months agoArsenal’s next five fixtures compared to Liverpool and Man City after Crystal Palace win
-
Liverpool4 months agoPremier League explains two controversial Liverpool penalty decisions as referee replaced
-
ARSENAL INJURY UPDATE3 months ago
Gabriel Jesus training footage sends clear message to Mikel Arteta ahead of Tottenham clash
-
Featured3 months agocentre-backs available THIS SUMMER for Liverpool FC
-
Arsenal predicted XI4 months agoFulham 0-1 Arsenal 69: NO PENALTY! Finally the decision is made. Anthony Taylor steps away from the screen and announces that Kevin played the ball. It seemed pretty clear but it took an age to get there.
-
Liverpool4 months agoGOAL! Brentford 2-1 Liverpool | Kerkez ’45+5
-
Arsenal predicted XI4 months agoFormer Arsenal star training with first-team ahead of Atletico Madrid