Arsenal injury reports: Saliba and Xhaka return dates a head of Chelsea blow.
Arsenal face an uphill challenge to win the Premier League this season following a four-game losing streak in the division.
Three consecutive draws against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton shifted the competition into the hands of Manchester City and Arsenal.
It meant that a match at the Etihad would determine which team would have the upper hand heading into the final weeks. This resulted in a victory for City, who prevailed 4-1 and closed the gap to just two points with two games in hand.
Arsenal’s only chance of winning a trophy this season is to brush themselves off, rediscover their form, and pray for assistance from other teams.
Next up is a match against London rivals Chelsea, who are in the bottom half of the table after a disappointing season.
Mikel Arteta may be without several important players for the match, as he awaits an update on William Saliba’s health. Here are the most recent Arsenal injury updates.
William Saliba
Saliba was forced out of Arsenal’s Europa League match against Sporting CP due to a back injury. The injury prompted the young defender to be replaced.
The defender has missed the previous few games and was absent against Manchester City as well.
It remains to be seen if Saliba will be available for the match against Chelsea, but his lack of training thus far suggests it is unlikely.
Arteta has stated, “In regards to William [Saliba], we must wait a little longer.
He is not making as much progress as we had anticipated. It’s a bit delicate, and we want to be absolutely certain that when we press him, he will be able to absorb the load and the risk that we will assume, which is currently impossible.
“I don’t know [if it’s the end of the season], it’s too early to make [predictions]. Next week we will likely have greater certainty.
There is some progression, and he is becoming more active, but he is not yet ready to be placed on the field at the level required to compete in this division.”
Before the City match, Arteta stated, “Unfortunately, he hasn’t made a significant improvement, so we’re still waiting.” We are still hopeful, but he has not been able to train with the team for another week.
“Currently, we do not have him. We are preparing for the game without him, and the next game will likely also arrive too soon. Currently, we must take things week by week.
Arsenal injury reports: Saliba and Xhaka return dates a head of Chelsea blow.