Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is at risk of missing the visit of Manchester City early next month with a hamstring injury, according to a report.
The trusted defender was sidelined Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Aston Villa with a theme that Mikel Arteta described with caution like “something muscular”.
Without their French mainstay at the heart of the defence, Arsenal conceded a pair of goals from two crosses that were directed into the backline area normally patrolled by Saliba, conceding 2-0 and losing ground to Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
Saliba had started 57 of Arsenal’s previous 58 Premier League games, only sitting out October’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool due to suspension. Arteta is expected to be without his defensive axis for another two weeks, according to reports the team.
If the French publication’s timeline is accurate, Saliba will definitely miss Arsenal’s next three games; their final Champions League matches of the league stage against Dinamo Zagreb and Girona either side of a Premier League trip to struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Gunners start February with the welcome Manchester City the first Sunday of the month. This game has been a title decider in each of the last two seasons, but it is not as high this term. City’s mid-season wobble has left them aiming for Champions League qualification instead of a fifth title in a row, although they have tentatively started to get back together in recent weeks.
Just three days after that first-class clash, arsenal travel to Newcastle United’s St James’ Park for the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on February 5. Saliba endured an uncharacteristically difficult afternoon against Alexander Isak in the first leg as the Gunners were consigned to a 2-0 defeat.
How Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester Unitedthey are ten days apart between games, while the fourth round is played on the second weekend in February. If he isn’t already, Saliba should be fit and available at the end of this mini-hiatus.
