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.

Arsenal entered the build-up to Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Club Brugge with fresh fitness questions after Declan Rice did not take part in the club’s open training session. Rice also failed to emerge for Tuesday’s training with the rest of Mikel Arteta’s squad, and no explanation has been provided for his absence. It is unclear whether the issue is connected to the injury he suffered against Brentford six days earlier.

Arteta is expected to give an update on the England international in his prematch press conference on Tuesday. The timing is delicate: Arsenal remain the only side with a perfect record in this season’s Champions League league phase, having picked up 15 points from their first five games, but defeat in Belgium would cost them top spot in the group.

Rice was not the only influential player absent from Tuesday’s session. Leandro Trossard, who returned from an ankle injury to score against Villa, was also not spotted at training. The ongoing absence of centre back William Saliba remains a significant problem for Arteta. The manager claimed Saliba was “days” away from a return before the Brentford game, but Saliba now stands to miss a fourth consecutive outing across all competitions if he does not recover before Wednesday.

Gabriel is also sidelined with an injury that may have brought his 2025 to an abrupt end. Arteta recently confessed Arsenal may have to do without the pair for “a period of time .” Cristian Mosquera is facing his own extended spell on the treatment table, a situation that has prompted Arteta to open the door to a centre back signing once the January transfer window opens.

For now, Piero Hincapié is the only natural centre back available. The squad contains several versatile options: Jurriën Timber played centrally last time out against Villa, while Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori can operate at both centre back and fullback. Arteta must manage that versatility as he prepares his team for a potentially decisive match in Belgium.