Mikel Arteta issues important injury update concerning William Saliba and Gabriel

Arsenal have been dealt a worrying injury setback as William Saliba is set to undergo medical tests on Monday to determine the severity of the issue that ruled him out of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea.

The French defender’s absence was keenly felt in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, as manager Mikel Arteta’s side struggled defensively against a lively Chelsea attack.

Arteta confirmed after the match that the club’s medical team will conduct a thorough examination of Saliba to establish the full extent of his discomfort.

“I think he has got another test tomorrow,” the Arsenal boss told reporters, as reported by The Standard.

“We need to see the extent of that feeling, that sensation that he had, and we will know more after that.”

The Gunners are hopeful that the problem is not a recurrence of the back injury that sidelined the Frenchman earlier in his Arsenal career.

However, given the packed December fixture list, Arteta and his staff are reluctant to take any risks.
Arsenal return to action on Wednesday night when they host Brentford at the Emirates, followed by a crucial Champions League tie next week.

The injury concerns extend beyond Saliba. Arsenal were also without his regular defensive partner Gabriel Magalhães, who continues to recover from a thigh problem sustained while on international duty with Brazil in November during a friendly against Senegal.

Asked about Gabriel’s recovery, Arteta admitted that the 27-year-old remains a few weeks away from returning: “With Gabi, there are still some weeks to go,” he said.

The absence of both first-choice centre-backs forced Arteta to field a makeshift defensive pairing of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié, both of whom joined the club in the summer.

While the young duo showed promise, their lack of chemistry was evident, especially in the opening half-hour when Chelsea’s forwards repeatedly found gaps in Arsenal’s back line.

Saliba’s importance to Arsenal cannot be overstated. Since breaking into the first team in 2022, the Frenchman has become a cornerstone of Arteta’s system, combining defensive solidity with composure on the ball.

His partnership with Gabriel has been widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s strongest defensive duos, anchoring a backline that conceded the fewest goals in the league last season.

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