Two Arsenal players missing from training days before huge Chelsea showdown

Bruno Guimaraes and Cristhian Mosquera both missed Arsenal training three days before Sunday’s home London derby against Chelsea.

Arsenal had an open training session on Thursday morning, but Guimaraes and Mosquera were not involved.

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Good news and bad news for Arsenal

Both players featured in Monday’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa, with Guimaraes making his Premier League debut for the Gunners from the bench following a short spell on the sidelines.

Mosquera started the game but was forced off towards the end of the second half by a muscular problem.

It remains to be seen whether either will be available for the visit of Chelsea, where both sides put their 100 per cent starts to the season on the line.

Guimaraes had started last month’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City but missed Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Coventry with a minor groin issue.

The Brazil midfielder was Arsenal’s most expensive signing of the summer transfer window, joining from Newcastle for £75m.

Mosquera had been covering for the injured William Saliba, though the Gunners have also signed Ezri Konsa – who replaced Mosquera for the final 10 minutes against Villa, the club he’d just arrived from.

Konsa could be in line to make his first Arsenal start this weekend, then.

Saliba is expected to be out until at least the middle of October with a back injury.

More positively on the injury front for Mikel Arteta, Declan Rice has been training after hobbling off late on in the Villa game.

Jurrien Timber has also been back training solo after missing the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign through a groin injury.

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The Gunners’ perfect start

Arsenal have begun their Premier League title defence in ideal fashion, kicking off by beating Coventry 3-0 before picking up three more points and keeping another clean sheet last time out.

But Chelsea are set to present their sternest test of the campaign so far.

Xabi Alonso‘s Blues are the joint top-scoring side in the Premier League so far with seven goals – and while they’ve also conceded six goals themselves, they have successfully seen off Fulham 3-2 and Brighton 4-3.

Arsenal, though, have an excellent recent record at the Emirates Stadium against their London rivals.

Chelsea haven’t won there since August 2021, with the Gunners coming out on top in each of the last five meetings in all competitions in north London.

Chelsea team news

The Blues have a number of injury worries of their own: Jordan Henderson remains sidelined after breaking his arm in a freak incident at the World Cup, while fellow summer signing Marco Palestra – also yet to make his debut – is still doubtful.

Alonso will also be hoping the issue that forced Moises Caicedo off against Brighton is not serious, as he initially thought.