Arsenal face double injury test as Declan Rice limps off at Aston Villa
Arsenal suffered a double injury blow on Saturday as midfielder Declan Rice limped off and defender Cristhian Mosquera was forced to leave with a suspected muscular problem during their Premier League visit to Aston Villa. The incidents came in the second half of a tightly contested match that ended 1‑0 to the Gunners.
Mosquera's exit raises defensive doubts
Cristhian Mosquera collapsed in the 78th minute, clutching his thigh, prompting the introduction of former Villa defender Ezri Konsa. Konsa, who spent seven years at Villa before joining Arsenal this summer for £51m, entered the game as a direct replacement. Mosquera walked off unaided but the muscular issue is expected to keep him out for at least a couple of weeks.
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Six minutes after Konsa’s debut, Declan Rice limped off, replaced by Martin Zubimendi, with the nature of his problem still unclear. After a summer plagued by fitness issues, Rice’s recent history includes neural pain in his lower back and hamstring at the World Cup. He featured in 55 games for Arsenal this season, starting 49 of them.
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Arsenal’s defensive worries are compounded by William Saliba’s absence until at least October after a back injury sustained in France’s World Cup semi‑final defeat to Spain. Saliba’s injury was a key factor behind the recruitment of Konsa earlier in the campaign.
The match concluded with Bukayo Saka scoring the winner in the 59th minute, securing a 1‑0 victory for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta will hope that Rice’s discomfort was merely a knock rather than a recurrence of earlier issues.
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Arteta is expected to address the injury concerns in the post‑match interview, outlining how the club will manage the short‑term impact on the squad.