Mikel Arteta provides Arsenal injury update on Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and more | OneFootball

Arsenal remain top of the Premier League after a hard-fought victory over Brighton but Mikel Arteta continues to battle a host of injuries.

The Gunners have been hit hard at the back, in particular, with a make-shift defence against the Seagulls including Declan Rice as an emergency right-back.

Riccardo Calafiori was a late withdrawal due to an injury sustained in the warm-up and Arteta has been forced to cope without the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera throughout the festive period.

Gabriel’s absence since 8 November was ended after a substitute appearance in the 2-1 victory, thanks to Martin Odegaard and a Georginio Rutter own-goal.

Here’s the latest injury news with Arteta providing an update ahead of a top-of-the-table clash with Aston Villa on Tuesday night:

Riccardo Calafiori

“There's something with Richy as well, very, very strange,” Arteta said on the Italian after he dropped out in the warm-up before facing Brighton.

“It's something that he felt yesterday, it's something very awkward that happened and today in the warm-up, he wasn't comfortable.”

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Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arteta said that he “landed awkwardly,” there was no further clarification, suggesting the issue is likely to compromise his availability against Villa at least.

The German is closing in on a return following a knee injury at Manchester United.

“Quite close,” remarked Arteta before the Brighton game. “I think it will be a matter of days, not weeks. Let’s see in the next steps how he responds to that.

“But he is, again, a player that we missed a lot, a player that brings the team into a different dimension. So, I am really happy to have him back soon.”

Gabriel Magalhaes

“The good news as well, for example, we got Gabi earlier than expected, which is great,” Arteta said after the win at Brighton, with the Brazilian making his return after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury.

“The medical staff, I think they've done an incredible job the way he pushes himself as well, that's what we need because we lost one and we got somebody else back.”

A start against Aston Villa will now be the next goal.

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Gabriel Magalhaes returned for Arsenal from injury against Brighton (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli was forced off against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, but did return off the bench against Brighton after Arteta labelled his issue “more of a knock.”

Now a contender to start against Villa.

Ben White is out with a hamstring injury picked up against Wolves on 13 December.

“He's evolving well,” Arteta said last week. “It’s not major injury but it will keep him out for a few games. I don’t think it’s going to be [major]. Ben is a really fast healer as well so let's hope that we're going to have him in the next few games."

Cristhian Mosquera has what Arteta labelled a “complicated” ankle injury.

“He's going to be out for weeks unfortunately, it's much more than what we expected,” Arteta said earlier in December. “But the player was feeling it.”

Max Dowman

Another longer term absentee, Max Dowman is dealing with an ankle ligament injury picked up in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United.

No surgery is required, but Arteta said: “"With Max, unfortunately he picked up an injury last weekend, and he had to come off, so we did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks."