Arsenal face a defensive selection squeeze after manager Mikel Arteta confirmed William Saliba has suffered a setback while trying to recover from a minor ankle problem. Saliba has been unable to train with the squad for the past few weeks and his fitness now remains uncertain ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arteta initially played down the situation before admitting the interruption had required the medical team to change course. “We have to wait and see, yesterday he didn’t train. We have an extra day, let’s see if he can [play] tomorrow.”

Explaining how a small issue escalated, the manager outlined the sequence that forced Saliba to stop working with the group. “It was something quite small,” he explained. “It came from an ankle injury that he had, and then he started to modify the way he was running and all that, and he started to overload an area, which is something common.

“But at some point, it became uncomfortable to continue training and playing, and we had to stop. He looks better but we have to wait and see if it’s enough for him to be able to train with the team.”

The centre back’s absence is compounded by other defensive and midfield availability issues. Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera are sidelined, while Jurriën Timber is dealing with a knock, narrowing Arteta’s options for the weekend.

Midfield cover is also in question after Declan Rice missed the 3–0 Champions League win over Club Brugge with an illness. Timber and winger Leandro Trossard were also ruled out for that game.

On Timber, Arteta said: “It depends how he feels today. It was a knock that he picked [up] and he wasn’t feeling comfortable. Whether it’s tomorrow or not we will see.” On Rice: “Let’s see how he goes today, he was ill. Normally in a few days, but let’s see how he gets on.” Trossard’s return was also described as a “matter of days,” and Arteta confirmed there were no fresh injuries from the victory over Brugge.

Any absence among the trio would further constrain selection as Arsenal prepare for a match that could affect their standing in the Premier League table.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Cristhian Mosquera will be sidelined for longer than first feared, a setback that added to a mounting availability problem before Wednesday’s Champions League fixture at Club Brugge. “Unfortunately he’s going to be out for weeks,” Arteta said ahead of the trip. “Unfortunately, it’s much more than what we expected, but the player was feeling it, so he’s going to be out for weeks.”

The injury situation worsened further when Jurriën Timber, who has been used primarily at right back and recently deputised for Mosquera, was ruled out after sustaining a “really bad kick” in Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa. “It was too early” for Timber to return, Arteta added, while Riccardo Calafiori was only fit enough to occupy a place on the bench.

Those late absences forced Arteta into an unplanned reshuffle and a last-minute selection change, with Christian Nørgaard drafted into the middle of the backline for the trip. The former Brentford captain has seen limited action since his arrival, a combination of his own fitness problems and the strong start by Martín Zubimendi restricting his chances in his preferred midfield role. On Wednesday, however, Nørgaard impressed in a defensive role.

Arteta was full of praise after the 3–0 victory in Belgium. “It’s a really positive evening and I think it’s very difficult to win away from home in the Champions League,” he said. “We’ve done it with a lot of absences, especially in the backline and even this morning we lost two players.

“I love the way the team reacted to that, collectively, individually, for example what Christian Nørgaard has done just talks about how much better he makes all of us with his attitude, with his commitment in the manner that he prepares and is able to perform. So yeah, overall a really positive night.” The result offered a timely boost for a side managing multiple defensive issues while progressing in Europe.

Arsenal have moved to replace Max Dowman in their Champions League squad after the youngster sustained an ankle injury while featuring in an U21 friendly against Manchester United. The club said Dowman picked up the problem in that match, which also included Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Mikel Arteta had left Gabriel Jesus out of the travelling party that lost 2–1 to Aston Villa in Birmingham so the forward could get meaningful minutes with the U21s. With Dowman now sidelined, Arsenal have used the one permitted amendment to their league phase list under the UEFA rule introduced at the start of the season and registered Jesus ahead of the knockout stage. The club noted the change without giving further detail on the severity of Dowman’s injury.

The 28-year-old forward is immediately eligible for Wednesday night’s trip to face Club Brugge, though whether Arteta will select him straight away is not certain. Arsenal’s fitness record remains a concern: since the start of last season the club have recorded 93 different injuries, a total topped only by Brighton & Hove Albion among Premier League teams, per Sky Sports News.

The Gunners began the Champions League league phase with five wins from five, leaving their progression largely secure, but Club Brugge should not be underestimated, “just ask Barcelona .” Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have collected two points so far, may provide a less pressured setting for Jesus to return to club action.

UEFA rules enforce a 60-day delay before any player dropped from a squad for medical reasons can return to the competition. Dowman may be re-registered in January but will not be available for selection until Feb. 6, 2026, by which time Arsenal will have completed all eight league phase fixtures. Barring a significant collapse, Arsenal are expected to avoid the knockout playoff and proceed directly to the last 16, with first legs scheduled for March 10–11, 2026.