Arsenal to miss four for Liverpool clash through injury with William Saliba hope
Arsenal secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Leeds United during the weekend, further solidifying their position in the race for the Premier League title – a feat they have not achieved in 19 years.
The win allowed the team to maintain an eight-point lead over Manchester City, with only nine games remaining in the season. Although Manchester City has a game in hand, Arsenal’s consistent performances prove their critics wrong week after week.
Following this triumph, Mikel Arteta’s squad will enjoy an eight-day break before facing Liverpool in another crucial game.
Despite Liverpool’s recent 4-1 victory over Manchester City, the Gunners are aware of the difficult challenge that awaits them at Anfield.
The Arsenal team is looking forward to having William Saliba, one of their top performers this season, back for their upcoming match in Merseyside.
Saliba, who had to leave the field during the Europa League loss to Sporting CP last month, has only missed two league games this season, namely the victories over Crystal Palace and Leeds.
“He is progressing, unfortunately he still has some discomfort in his back. He’s not gonna be fit for this game and we’re trying to do everything to feel better, but not yet,” Arteta said.
Even though the absence of the 22-year-old was disappointing for the team, Arteta gave some positive news about the chance of Saliba playing again in the current season.
“Yeah I am very hopeful and he is as well,” Arteta added.
“Back injuries are a bit tricky and how they evolve with the load that you put in certain areas. Let’s push it and see how he copes with that. He’s so willing to be back in the team.”
Arsenal included Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey in their starting lineup after both players encountered slight injuries during the international break.
Odegaard was subjected to a hard tackle from Man City’s Rodri while playing for Norway against Spain, resulting in some concern.
Meanwhile, Partey sat out Ghana’s game against Angola as a safety measure, raising doubts about his availability for the match. Nevertheless, the midfielder played for a full hour at the Emirates Stadium before being substituted by Jorginho.
Eddie Nketiah was absent during the victory against Leeds. The forward, who hails from Hale End, has not participated in any matches since Arsenal’s 4-0 triumph over Everton, which occurred over a month ago. At the time, Arteta revealed that Nketiah was still wearing a protective boot and would need several more weeks to recover. The manager emphasized the importance of being patient in Nketiah’s recovery process.
“He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we need to be patient.
“It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he’s not in a bad place.”
Takerhiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are expected to miss the remainder of the season due to long-term injuries.
Arsenal to miss four for Liverpool clash through injury with William Saliba hope