<\/p>\n
Arsenal have had their Premier League title ambitions rocked by negative reports from sources in France concerning centre-half William Saliba\u2019s back injury.<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta was left counting the cost of his decision to name a strong side for the Europa League penalty shoot-out defeat to Sporting on Thursday, with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Saliba both going off injured in the first half.<\/p>\n
There was also a supposed setback regarding the returning Gabriel Jesus<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0which turned out to be rather less damaging.<\/p>\n While Tomiyasu left the Emirates Stadium on crutches with a problem Arteta suggested was \u201cpretty serious from his reaction straight after and what he said to me,\u201d mystery surrounded the back issue Saliba suffered.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, he had some discomfort and could not continue so we had to take him out,\u201d the Arsenal manager said of that injury.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But French newspaper L\u2019Equipe has revealed<\/a> that Saliba \u2018should be absent for several weeks\u2019 and will inevitably have to withdraw from France selection during the international break.<\/p>\n Their report named Monaco defender Axel Disasi, Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice and Chelsea\u2019s Beno\u00eet Badiashile as options to replace him in Didier Deschamps\u2019 squad.<\/p>\n The news will come as a blow to Arsenal, who must navigate managerless Crystal Palace at home<\/strong><\/a> before the international break, after which they hope the outlook is a little brighter.<\/p>\n The Gunners could call on Rob Holding to fill in alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, with Jakub Kiwior, Benjamin White and Kieran Tierney among the other candidates in the position.<\/p>\n Saliba has missed just 14 minutes of their remarkable Premier League campaign after being substituted early in the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in October.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been carrying injuries throughout the season,\u201d Arteta<\/strong><\/a> said this week. \u201cWe had Emile [Smith Rowe] out for four months, [Gabriel] Jesus for four months, Thomas [Partey] for a month-and-a-half, Alex [Oleksandr Zinchenko] for two-and-a-half months, Eddie [Nketiah] for a month-and-a-half.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had quite a lot of injuries already, but we dealt with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Trossard limping, Zinchenko clutching his hamstring, Tomiyasu and Saliba substituted with injuries. Potentially costly night for Arsenal, whatever the outcome in the next few minutes.<\/p>\n \u2014 Sam Dean (@SamJDean) March 16, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Those comments came after Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag had suggested rather the opposite.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you see all season we have had some setbacks, every time we\u2019ve dealt with it. It\u2019s about the players who are available and every time there\u2019s a team on the pitch who deals with it.<\/p>\n \u201cIn just one game we had the squad available totally and I was able to pick my team, from a tactical approach, perfectly \u2013 that was against Manchester City at home<\/strong><\/a> this season. Every other time it\u2019s been one player suspended, injured, or unavailable through illness.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to deal with it well but Arsenal, all the time their squad is totally available.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n