Declan Rice is a doubt for Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Gunners are five points clear at the summit of English football after Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Brentford with Mikel Arteta overseeing that excellent start to the season despite injuries to key personnel.
Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli have all been sidelined at various stages this season.
First choice centre-half pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have also been unavailable with the latter not expected to be fit again until the end of December.
Cristhian Mosquera has deputised at the back alongside Piero Hincapie in their absence but there was concern for the former Villarreal star after an awkward landing forced him off in the first-half against Brentford.
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Alarm bells rang again later on in the contest when Rice gingerly left the pitch with what appeared to be a calf issue.
The England international calmed injury fears as he left the Emirates that night, telling Sky Sports he was ‘fine’.
Arsenal are in action away to in-form Villa in Saturday afternoon’s early kick-off but Arteta was giving little away ahead of that game.
‘Let’s see [on Rice]. I think with all the questions I’m gonna get the answer. Unfortunately it is going to be the same. We have another training session in the afternoon.
‘Every hour is going to be very important.’
Will William Saliba return for Arsenal against Villa?
Saliba has missed Arsenal’s last two games after an inury suffered in training ruled him out of the game against Chelsea last weekend.
Arteta was hopeful the injury was nothing serious with the France international but suggested he is still ‘a couple of days’ away.
Cristhian Mosquera injury latest
Summer signing Mosquera has proved to be a very capable deputy in the absence of Saliba and Gabriel.
‘That’s the one that is more complicated. We have another scan to do today,’ Arteta said of his defender.