Arteta Addresses Mosquera Injury Concerns Ahead of Deadline Day

Mikel Arteta moved quickly to play down injury concerns over Cristhian Mosquera after Arsenal’s win against Aston Villa, while making it clear the club plans to be aggressive heading into Deadline Day.

Mosquera was at the heart of one of Arsenal’s standout moments, threading a sharp pass through the lines to release Eberechi Eze and Riccardo Calafiori in the build-up to the decisive goal. His night ended on a worrying note, though, as he left the pitch with around 10 minutes of normal time remaining, clutching the back of his leg.

The change opened the door for Ezri Konsa to come on for his debut against his former club, a twist that added an extra edge to the closing stages. Any anxiety around Mosquera’s condition, however, was quickly addressed by Arteta.

“He is fine,” the Arsenal manager said. “But he was feeling like he was about to have something. That’s why we have the bench that we have, that’s why we had to bring Ezri on.”

With the game handled, attention swung straight to the final hours of the transfer window. Arsenal are still exploring options to bolster their attack, with Lyon forward Malick Fofana among the latest names under consideration.

“We are trying to improve the squad, and until tomorrow night we’re going to try to do that,” Arteta said. “I’ve been disconnected from the world for 24 hours, because I think my energy and focus has to be on the match, and I will get back on it now.”

The question now is how bold Arsenal will be, especially up front, after recent departures. Asked whether he believes he already has enough in the forward areas, Arteta’s answer came with a clear caveat.

“It depends if everybody’s fit or not,” he replied. “We can talk about today, but that scenario might change.”

He pointed to the recent absence of Willy Saliba as a reminder of how quickly a squad can be stretched.

“We knew that with Willy out, we had an injury in the back line. We knew we were in big trouble, so we had to do everything. And today, Mosquera, he could not continue. So we know that the depth has to be really big when you’re fighting for four competitions, in the manner that we play as well. So we’re going to try to do that.”

Mosquera is fine for now. The real test comes next: can Arsenal build a squad deep enough in the next 24 hours to stay in the fight on all four fronts?