Mikel Arteta hints at William Saliba readiness for Liverpool clash despite Arsenal injury update
On Sunday, Arsenal will make the arduous trip to Liverpool, which has not been a happy hunting ground for the Gunners.Mikel Arteta has prepared his team to respond to last season’s disappointing 4-0 loss at Anfield with the hope that a victory will propel them to the championship this year.
However, some concerns have been raised about a key area of the Spanish squad. William Saliba sustained a back injury against Sporting CP in the Europa League and has missed the last two Premier League contests.
Rob Holding has contributed to consecutive 4-1 victories against Crystal Palace and Leeds United. However, if his French counterpart had been available, he would have had a much easier time with Liverpool’s sterner test.
Mikel Arteta addressed the media before departing for Anfield. The Spaniard remained tight-lipped about the latest news regarding Saliba’s fitness, but hinted that the player could be one of two who train today.
“No no real changes with the rest of the players that were still injured,” Arteta said. “We have some hope with one of them who will maybe be able to train but we’ll see.”
Saliba and Eddie Nketiah are the two players who have been removed from the lineup. Arteta stated prior to the match against Leeds United that they would “push” the Frenchman constantly in the hope that he would become available.
“Yeah, I’m very hopeful and he is as well. Back injuries are a bit tricky, how they evolve with the load in certain areas but he’s very positive about it, the medical staff are positive about it, so let’s push it every day a little bit and see how he copes with that and how the pain develops. He’s so willing to be back with the team.”
Mikel Arteta hints at William Saliba readiness for Liverpool clash despite Arsenal injury update
