Arsenal injury update after Timber and Calafiori blows vs Brighton | Football | Sport

Arteta swiftly addressed the confusion, telling Sky Sports News before the match: “We missed him because in the last part of the game he felt something and he could not carry on so he’s out.”

The setbacks continued when Riccardo Calafiori was withdrawn in favour of Myles Lewis-Skelly just minutes before kick-off after picking up an injury during his warm-up routine.

These absences compound Arsenal’s defensive headaches. Ben White remains unavailable with a hamstring issue, while Cristhian Mosquera is not anticipated to return until the New Year following an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, teenage sensation Max Dowman is currently sidelined with an ankle problem that will rule him out for several weeks. Kai Havertz is also working his way back from a knee injury that has kept him out for much of the campaign, though Saturday’s clash with Brighton arrived too early for the attacking midfielder to be involved.

Discussing the German during his midweek press briefing, Arteta revealed: “I think it will be a matter of days, if not weeks. Let’s see in the next step how he responds to that.

“He’s a player that we missed a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension. So, I’m really happy to have him back very soon.”

Gabriel’s availability for this weekend’s fixture was also uncertain, with Arteta stating in the same briefing: “We’ll have to wait and see. He hasn’t trained yet, he’s still doing his rehab. But hopefully as quickly as possible because we know the situation that we have in the back line.”

He did return to the pitch, however, off the bench. Piero Hincapie also made his comeback after sitting out Arsenal’s midweek Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace due to a knock picked up against Everton the previous weekend.