Arsenal supporters might have some concerns, ahead of the London derby against Chelsea, after Cristhian Mosquera and Bruno Guimaraes were noticeably absent during the Thursday morning training session. So we will see if manager Mikel Arteta provides an update, or not, during his press conference tomorrow on the pair. There is some good news though, as Declan Rice took part in training today.
So that will allay some fears, after he limped off early, during the win at Aston Villa on Monday night.
London Derby FYIs
Chelsea FC at Arsenal
Kickoff Time: 4.30 p.m. BST, Sunday, Sept 6
Location: Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Chelsea FC Arsenal
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea FC Arsenal
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC 19% Draw 24% Arsenal 57%
Premier League Standings, Form: Chelsea FC 4th 6 pts WW Arsenal 2nd 6 pts WW
Gunners Team News
Mosquera exited early as well, also limping off, but Arteta played down the severity of the injury (reportedly an unspecified muscular issue) afterward by saying: “He’s fine, but he was feeling like he was about to have something, and that’s why we have the bench that we have, and that’s why we had to bring Ezri (Konsa) in.”
As for Guimaraes, the summer signing from Newcastle has been in and out of the lineup, so far this young season, with a groin issue.
Elsewhere Jurrien Timber was spotted doing rehabilitation work on his own today, so he will still be out for awhile yet.
Arteta said, late last week that:
“Jurrien is progressing really well. Let’s see how he ends up this week. It’s the third week in a row that he’s been outside, and we have increased his load. So he’s on the right trajectory. If everything goes well, I think next week we’re going to step it up again.”
And then finally, William Saliba is expected to be out until at least mid-October, as he recovers from back surgery.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.