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Arsenal are set to be without William Saliba for Saturday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa, according to reports.
The Gunners have been dealt injury blow after injury blow in recent weeks, but an extended unbeaten run in the league means they're still well in the title race. After capitalising on Liverpool's draw with Nottingham Forest by beating Tottenham 2-1 in the North London Derby, the Gunners are now just four points behind the league leaders having played a game more.
Saturday has the makings of a significant day at the top of the table, with Liverpool travelling to Brentford, one of the best-performing home teams in the division this term, and Arsenal welcoming Villa to the Emirates. The Villans crushed the Gunners' title dreams last season, and it looks like Arsenal will be seeking revenge in the absence of their star centre-back.
Wiliam Saliba looks set to miss Aston Villa clash with hamstring injury
The reports we've seen so far have not been confirmed by more reputable sources. However, Arsenal 'insiders' such as AFC Camden have suggested Saliba is a "concern" for Saturday's game. The Frenchman is suspected to have tweaked his hamstring during a late driving run with the ball in Wednesday's derby.
While the defender stayed on for the final few minutes to see out a crucial 2-1 win, Saliba was not pictured in training on Friday. Maldini Kacurri's absence from the Under 21s squad for their match against Fulham hints that he could've been called up by Arteta as a potential replacement for the French international.
Saliba has featured in all but one of Arsenal's 21 Premier League outings this season, with no Gunners outfielder recording more league minutes than the 23-year-old (1,739). If he doesn't play on Saturday, Arteta will be forced to use Jurrien Timber alongside Gabriel at centre-back and utilise Thomas Partey at right-back.
The knock-on effects of a Saliba injury are far from ideal.
On a brighter note, there have been reports of Ben White returning to the training pitch. White has been out since mid-November after undergoing knee surgery, and Arteta has previously said he hopes to have the English defender available again by the end of the month. His return will offer Timber and Saliba some much-needed respite with the Gunners' schedule refusing to relent.