After the break for the world cup, the Premier League is back, and this afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal will play host to Leeds United.
The fate of Arsenal in the race will be decided by their performance in the upcoming matches, determining whether they win their first league championship since 2004 or finish second to Manchester City.
Before the game, Mikel Arteta had several injury worries, notably William Saliba’s health as a defender. After suffering a back injury against Sporting Lisbon, the 22-year-old could not participate in the 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace before the break.
The center-back won’t be able to play against Leeds after Saliba wasn’t seen in practice the previous week. Arteta has already confirmed this. Fears that Saliba wouldn’t play again this year were allayed by the Arsenal manager, though.
The Spanish manager explained the following to Arsenal.com at his pre-game press conference:
He has improved. His back is still giving him a little trouble. Despite our greatest efforts, we are unable to get him ready for this game despite our best management efforts. He is doing his best to feel better and return to training, and we are trying everything we can to help him, but not yet.
“Back injuries are a little tough because of how they develop and the loads you place in specific locations, but he’s quite optimistic about it. It has been well received by the medical professionals. We’ll watch how he handles it and how the pain progresses by giving him a little more each day. He clearly wants to return because of this.
Saliba has been a vital player for Arteta this season, thus the news will be a significant blow to Arsenal. Today’s middle-of-the-defense lineup will still feature Gabriel and Rob Holding.