Arsenal duo absent from training ahead of Chelsea game - Journalist
Arsenal duo Cristhian Mosquera and Bruno Guimaraes were absent from today’s open training session, according to Sky Sports journalist Sam Blitz.
The Gunners have made a fantastic start to the Premier League season with back-to-back wins and will aim to keep the momentum against the Blues with another victory.
Arsenal have dominated their London counterparts with eight wins and three draws in the last 11 meetings. They are much fancied to secure another win on Sunday.
Ahead of the derby, the Gunners have a potential concern on their hands. Mosquera picked up a minor muscular issue during the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Monday night.
He was subsequently replaced by Ezri Konsa for his Gunners debut. Manager Mikel Arteta said that he was fine after the game, but the Spaniard was not present in today’s training session.
Meanwhile, Guimaraes was spotted limping towards the end of Monday’s game in the Midlands, and it could be a reason for his absence from the training pitch at London Colney.
Arsenal have squad depth to deal with possible injuries
The Gunners are already without two standout defenders in William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. Mosquera has fared well as the right centre-back, but he was taken off with an injury on Monday.
Arteta was not overly concerned for the Spain international, which suggests the issue is minor. The 22-year-old may have been rested, and he could be involved in the next training session.
If not, the Gunners have a ready-made replacement in Konsa to partner Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of the defence. The 28-year-old is highly experienced and should settle in seamlessly.
Meanwhile, the manager previously spoke about load management for Guimaraes, who barely had a pre-season at Newcastle United before his late move to the Premier League champions.
Like Mosquera, the Brazilian star may have been purely rested to manage a minor groin issue. We should get a clear update on the pair during Friday’s press conference from London Colney.
Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly have started the opening two league games in central midfield. Even if Guimaraes is sidelined, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino could come off the bench.
The Spanish duo were hugely impressive alongside Guimaraes in the second half at Villa Park.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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