Arsenal could receive a major defensive boost at the Amex, with four players pushing to return after a difficult run of fitness issues at the back.
Mikel Arteta is remaining optimistic that Arsenal will have Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie available for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Brighton.
The Gunners have been managing a number of defensive fitness issues at the start of the season; but the Arsenal manager gave an encouraging update on all four players during his pre-match press conference.
“They are all good. We have another training session this afternoon, so very positive about everybody,” Arteta said.
Asked whether that included Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie, he added: “Yeah, we have another session. They are willing to be part of it and we have another session to try to make sure that they are fit.”
It would give Arteta considerably more choice at the back after having to manage his defensive options carefully over the past few weeks, when he has had to get a bit more creative with how he sets his back line.
White had been dealing with a groin problem since the win at Sunderland, while Mosquera has been working his way back towards full fitness after his own injury during Arsenal’s visit to Aston Villa. Arteta had previously suggested that the centre-back was close to a return ahead of the Gunners' visit to the Stadium of Light, saying he was progressing well enough to potentially return either then or in the following fixture. But the defender did not appear in either squad.
Timber’s situation has been slightly different. The Dutchman returned at Sunderland before being left out of the Carabao Cup win over Ipswich in midweek, with his absence at Portman Road more about managing his workload than a new setback.
Hincapie is also in contention as the Gunners prepare to make the trip to the Amex, giving Arteta another final option across the back line if he comes through Friday’s final session without a problem.
Arsenal have already had to rotate heavily over four consecutive away matches, with Arteta making nine changes at Ipswich after Premier League and Champions League victories over Sunderland and Napoli.
Brighton will be the final game in that sequence before the international break, and Arteta made it clear he does not want Arsenal’s level to drop simply because of the schedule.
“That’s one of the challenges of the schedule and the team has responded so well, playing with such a dominance,” Arteta said.
“It doesn’t really matter if we play at home or away. We want to be the same team and we want to cause the same kind of problems to the opposition.
“We have managed to win the three games and we’ve got the last one against a great opponent, as I said, against Brighton tomorrow and we will try to do the same.”
One of Arsenal’s key defensive figures, William Saliba, still remains a notable absentee in central defence, with his return still expected to be further away, but the prospect of White, Timber, Mosquera and Hincapie all being available would leave Arteta with far more flexibility around him.
The final call on the quartet will come after Friday afternoon’s training session, but Arteta’s update was considerably more positive than Arsenal have been able to offer on their defence at various points over the past few weeks.
