Arsenal are facing significant fitness concerns heading into their Premier League London derby against Chelsea on Sunday, with manager Mikel Arteta potentially without two key players for the encounter.
The north London side host their west London opponents at the weekend, with both clubs having made winning starts to the campaign.
Chelsea have secured victories in their opening two fixtures, while Arsenal have maintained a solid defensive record with clean sheets in both matches.
The visitors have shipped five goals in those games but have demonstrated their attacking threat by scoring seven times.
A training session held on Thursday for broadcast partners provided some concerning updates on player availability.
Neither Cristhian Mosquera nor Bruno Guimaraes participated in the session.
When asked about the Spaniard’s situation, Arteta indicated it was merely a precautionary measure after he detected something during the assessment.
However, the defender’s prospects of appearing on Sunday now appear diminished.
Arteta offered reassurance about the player’s condition, stating he was doing well.
During Monday’s match, the player who replaced Mosquera performed calmly and contributed to preserving the clean sheet.
Guimaraes also saw his first action from the substitutes’ bench during that game.
Following a muscle problem in the Community Shield, the Brazilian international sat out the season opener against Chelsea.
Sources close to the club report that summer workload management has been carefully monitored.
The club seems reluctant to jeopardise player fitness, particularly with the possibility of pairing Declan Rice with either Myles Lewis-Skelly or Martin Zubimendi in the middle of the park this weekend.
Arteta is scheduled to address reporters on Friday to discuss squad updates ahead of the match.
Both players will have Friday and Saturday to demonstrate their readiness for Sunday’s fixture.