Arsenal have plenty of time to stew over a defeat to Brighton , with the only positive being some encouraging signs on the injury front.
Mikel Arteta's side were outfought and outclassed at the Amex Stadium, losing 3-0 as their seven-game winning streak at the start of the campaign was snapped in a rather surprising manner .
Due to a change in the scheduling and length of the first international break this season, Arsenal are not back in action until two weeks from Saturday when they welcome Leeds to the Emirates Stadium for the early kick-off.
By then, the Gunners will hope to have Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White available for selection, while William Saliba could very well be nearing a return to action.
Although Jurrien Timber started against Brighton and Piero Hincapie was back on the bench , Arsenal's injury issues are all still in the defensive department and Arteta will wants his options to increase with some tough matches on the horizon.
With that in mind, here is the latest Arsenal injury news and return dates…
Ben White was absent against Brighton (Getty)
White picked up a groin issue in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on September 12, subsequently missing the Carabao Cup win over Ipswich three days later.
The defender, not named in the England squad, was thought be in contention for the showdown against Brighton following comments from Arteta in the pre-match press conference.
"Ben is all good, we have another training session this afternoon, so very positive about everybody," Arteta said.
However, White was not in the matchday squad against his former club, meaning Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi had to share right-back duty after Timber went off in the second half.
Though, taking Arteta's pre-Brighton update into consideration, White should be fine after the international break.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
Cristhian Mosquera is believed to be closing in on a return from his muscle injury (Getty)
Mosquera has been out of action since he was forced off in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa on August 31, and has now missed Arsenal's last five matches across all competitions, including Saturday's loss to Brighton.
Spotted in his tracksuit, Mosquera then watched the warm-ups from the touchline, as the extra man often does for the Gunners.
As Arsenal are now not in action for three weeks due to the extended international break, that should give Mosquera a chance to fully recover from the muscle issue.
Potential return date: October 10 vs Leeds (h)
William Saliba is a long-term absentee (AFP/Getty)
Arsenal's defensive strength, even without Saliba, had been evident right up until the Brighton game.
The Gunners are not expected to have the Frenchman available for a while yet as he has been sidelined since July with a back injury, though he has been named in the Champions League squad .
The good news is the defender doesn't need surgery, but it may be after the November international break before he is back in action.
A statement released in July read : "Specialist reviews on William's return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation.
"Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme.
"William's rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period."
Potential return date: Winter 2026
