Arsenal could be without two key players for their Premier League clash with Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side face a stern test at the weekend as Xabi Alonso’s high-scoring Blues head to north London.
Chelsea beat west London rivals Fulham 3-2 in Alonso’s first competitive game in charge before an equally exciting 4-3 win over Brighton at the weekend.
The Gunners, meanwhile, have made a perfect start to their title defence, beating Coventry City and Aston Villa in their first two games of the season.
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The defending champions will look to send a message to one of their potential title rivals at the weekend, but could be without Bruno Guimaraes and Cristhian Mosquera after both weren’t seen in training on Thursday.
Guimaraes missed Arsenal’s league opener against Coventry after sustaining a knock in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City.
The Brazilian midfielder made a substitute appearance against Villa last time out, but could now be set to miss out again this weekend.
Mosquera, meanwhile, started both of Arsenal’s first two league games but was replaced late on against Villa by Ezri Konsa after picking up an injury.
Speaking after the game, Arteta said: ‘We knew that if we had an injury on the back line with Jurrien (Timber) out, we’d be in big trouble – so we had to do Ezri,
‘Mosquera could not continue, so we know the depth has to be really big when we’re fighting for four competitions in the manner that we play as well.
‘He’s fine, but he was feeling like he was about to have something, and that’s why we have the bench that we have, and that’s why we had to bring Ezri in.’
If Mosquera is not deemed fit to start, Konsa could be handed his first start since joining from Villa for £51million towards the end of the summer window.
Chelsea, meanwhile, could be without Moises Caicedo after the midfielder was forced off just 14 minutes into his substitute appearance against Brighton.
Speaking after the 4-3 win, Alonso said of Caicedo’s injury: ‘It wasn’t more than last time. He was cautious, to stop, to say he was not feeling the best.
‘We will assess during the week. It was not something new.’
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