Arsenal injury update: Hincapie blow adds to Calafiori and Mosquera concerns

Arsenal remain in control of the Premier League title race, but their growing defensive injury list is becoming harder to ignore.

A goalless draw with Liverpool preserved the Gunners’ six-point lead at the top of the table, yet the result came with another setback as Piero Hincapié was forced off in the second half.

With fixtures coming thick and fast, Mikel Arteta has already been required to improvise. Midfielder Christian Nørgaard was deployed in defence during the FA Cup win over Portsmouth, underlining how stretched Arsenal currently are at the back.

Here is the latest on Arsenal’s injured defenders and their potential return dates.

Arsenal are awaiting scan results after Hincapié limped off against Liverpool following a prolonged spell of discomfort.

The Ecuadorian, who has been covering at left-back due to Riccardo Calafiori’s absence, was visibly struggling early in the second half. Before being substituted, he briefly spoke with Arteta near the technical area and later received treatment before being replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Arteta offered a cautious but hopeful update after the match.

“Probably on Monday we’ll know a little bit more,” he said.

“Obviously he had to come off, which is never a good sign, but hopefully it’s not too much.”

Potential return date: Unknown

Calafiori remains sidelined with an awkward knock that has already ruled him out for several weeks.

The Italian defender last featured in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace before Christmas. He subsequently withdrew during the warm-up against Brighton and has now missed five matches.

Arteta initially warned the injury could keep him out for “weeks”, but struck a more optimistic tone in his most recent update, suggesting the defender is nearing the final stages of recovery.

Potential return date: January 17 vs Nottingham Forest (A)

Cristhian Mosquera has been unavailable since early December after suffering what Arteta described as a “complicated” ankle injury.

The centre-back last appeared against Brentford on December 3, with early assessments proving more serious than first feared.

“He’s going to be out for weeks unfortunately,” Arteta admitted at the time. “It’s much more than what we expected.”

Providing an update alongside Calafiori’s status, Arteta said both defenders are now in the final phase of rehabilitation.

Potential return date: January 17 vs Nottingham Forest (A)

Highly-rated youngster Max Dowman remains some way off a return after suffering ligament damage to his ankle.

The 15-year-old was injured during a friendly against Manchester United in December and was later removed from Arsenal’s Champions League squad as a result.

Arteta confirmed last month that Dowman would be sidelined for a prolonged period.

Potential return date: Late February 2026

Arsenal will assess Hincapié’s scan results early this week, with Arteta hoping at least one defensive option returns before a demanding run of league fixtures resumes.

Can Arsenal’s defensive depth hold firm as the title race intensifies?