Arsenal’s injury troubles deepened on Monday after Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, and William Saliba were all absent from first-team training ahead of their crucial Champions League trip to Belgium to face Club Brugge.
Mikel Arteta oversaw training at London Colney with a noticeably depleted squad as the Gunners continue to battle a growing list of fitness issues.
Rice and Trossard worked indoors during the session, with Rice still managing a knock he picked up against Brentford last Wednesday. Despite the issue, the 26-year-old completed the full 90 minutes in Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa.
Trossard, 31, came on at half-time in that match but was later replaced after struggling with discomfort.
Meanwhile, Saliba has now missed three consecutive games after suffering a knock in training. The France international remains sidelined, leaving Arsenal without their first-choice central defensive pairing.
The Gunners’ defensive injury list continues to pile up. Before Saliba’s setback, Gabriel Magalhaes was ruled out with a thigh injury sustained during Brazil duty. Cristhian Mosquera also joined the growing list after being forced off against Brentford, with Arteta describing his injury as “more complicated” and confirming the defender will be out for weeks.
Arteta is expected to give a detailed fitness update during the team’s press conference in Belgium on Tuesday night.
Arsenal remain three points clear at the top of their Champions League group after winning all five matches so far. They also sit top of the Premier League table, two points ahead of Manchester City despite the recent dip in squad availability.
Several other players, including Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Martin Ødegaard, and Viktor Gyökeres, have missed significant parts of the season due to injuries, further stretching Arsenal’s resources as the campaign intensifies.
