Arsenal handed double injury scare before Club Brugge clash as William Saliba training update revealed

Arsenal have been dealt a new double fitness scare ahead of Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Club Brugge.

The Gunners will almost certainly qualify for the last 16 of the competition with all three points at the Jan Breydel Stadium, having obtained a perfect 15 from 15 in the league phase so far.

Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Olympiacos and Slavia Prague have all fallen to the superiority of Mikel Arteta's side in Europe, and the Premier League leaders are already guaranteed to make it through to the knockout round playoffs at the very worst.

The Spaniard may therefore be tempted to rest and rotate on Wednesday night, when he will definitely be without the trio of Kai Havertz (knee), Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh) and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) due to injury.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus has not been called up to the league phase squad despite Mosquera's problem, and Arteta may also be missing another two experienced players for the matchday six encounter.

Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard miss Arsenal training before Club Brugge

"There are three players who aren't out there, Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, and sadly still no William Saliba" ?

Gary Cotterill on who's present at Arsenal training ahead of their fixture against Club Brugge ? pic.twitter.com/0VtMQdJg0a
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 9, 2025

As is tradition before Champions League matches, Arsenal hosted the media for the first part of their training session on Tuesday afternoon, but Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were not present.

Rice completed the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 2-1 Premier League loss to Aston Villa, although he did sustain a small calf issue in the 2-0 home win against Brentford a few days prior.

Meanwhile, Trossard was brought on at half time against Villa after recovering from a muscle injury, but he was then withdrawn himself after scoring Arsenal's equaliser in the West Midlands.

The Belgium international became just the third Arsenal player to be substituted on, score and then substituted off in the same Premier League game, after Nicklas Bendtner against Cardiff City in 2014 and Cesc Fabregas against Aston Villa in 2009.

Arteta explained that Trossard's load had to be managed in the wake of his premature change, and the Gunners boss was also missing William Saliba in training on Tuesday; the Frenchman has been unavailable for Arsenal's last three games due to a knock.

However, Arsenal did receive one boost in the shape of Riccardo Calafiori, who was out alongside his teammates after being filmed limping away from the Villa Park pitch at the weekend.

What changes can Mikel Arteta make for Club Brugge vs. Arsenal?

Calafiori may be given the nod at left-back or centre-back on Tuesday given that he is suspended for this weekend's Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers; the latter scenario would allow Arteta to rest Piero Hincapie and bring in Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Trossard was never likely to make the first XI anyway, but Gabriel Martinelli is a candidate to replace Eberechi Eze, while Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke are primed for attacking starts too.

Rice's concern may lead to Mikel Merino dropping into the left eight role, and the time is also nigh for Arteta to rest Martin Zubimendi and draft Christian Norgaard into the first XI.

The seldom-seen Ethan Nwaneri should also be vying for a start on Wednesday night, when Arsenal take on a Club Brugge side who have just sacked head coach Nicky Hayen.