Pain in the Arsenal
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Mikel Arteta coy over seriousness of William Saliba’s injury

By James Cormack

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: William Saliba of Arsenal leaves the pitch after picking up an injury during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 leg two match between Arsenal FC and Sporting CP at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: William Saliba of Arsenal leaves the pitch after picking up an injury during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 leg two match between Arsenal FC and Sporting CP at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Mikel Arteta isn’t exactly sure how serious the injury picked up by William Saliba against Sporting CP is.

The French defender has been instrumental in the Gunners’ excellent season up to this point, and it was somewhat of a surprise to see him start alongside Gabriel for Sporting CP’s visit.

Saliba opened the scoring in the first leg away from home before his side were forced to come from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw which set up an intriguing second leg at the Emirates.

Arsenal had already lost Takehiro Tomiyasu to injury by the time Granit Xhaka opened the scoring, and Saliba succumbed soon after.

However, the seriousness of the defender’s issue is unknown.

Mikel Arteta coy over William Saliba’s injury

It was a pretty miserable night for Arsenal as they were eventually pegged back by the Portuguese side thanks to a stunning Pedro Goncalves strike before losing on penalties.

However, for many Arsenal fans, their primary concern in the wake of the defeat is the status of their star young centre-back. Arteta gave very little away when questioned post-match: “Saliba? I don’t know. He had some discomfort so we took him off.”

The defender’s status for Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace is obviously in doubt ahead of the international break. Should the issue not be serious, Saliba should be welcomed back for the home game against Leeds on 1 April.

Tomiyasu, however, is a different matter. It’s been a frustrating campaign for the Japanese international, and it’s a genuine possibility that his season ended on Thursday night. The defender was spotted leaving the Emirates on crutches, with Arteta adding the injury “looks pretty serious”.

Fortunately, Ben White has impressed in a right-back function this season which means Tomiyasu’s absence won’t be too hard felt. Nevertheless, with Cedric loaned out, Arsenal could have just one senior right-back option available for the final stretch as they attempt to claim their first Premier League title since 2003/04.

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