Arsenal were without William Saliba for their Premier League clash with Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium, leaving fans sweating over the whereabouts of the star centre-back.
Saliba's only absence this season was implemented, as he was suspended for one match due to the red card he received in the match. Defeat against Bournemouth 2-0 In October of last year.
The Frenchman was expected to start alongside Gabriel for the visit of Villa, who continue to go from strength to strength under the management of the former coach. Arsenal The team's coach, Unai Emery, but there was a surprising omission when the squads were announced.
Technical director Mikel Arteta confirmed: “He felt something before the match, something muscular.” “I don't think it's too much, but he couldn't train (on Friday). He didn't feel well enough to play, so we have to evaluate the situation,” he added.
With the limited information provided by Arteta, there will be obvious concern about Saliba ahead of an important series of matches. Arsenal are trying to chase down Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title, with the Reds scoring a late goal at Brentford earlier on Saturday to seal the win. Achieving a big win 2-0 He has matches in the Champions League against Dinamo Zagreb and Girona.
The Gunners also need to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Newcastle.
Saliba joins a number of other first-team regulars on the sidelines, adding another layer to Arteta infection headache. Bukayo Saka will be sidelined for at least a few more weeks – the England winger is recovering from a hamstring tear – and Saliba's defensive teammates, Riccardo Calafiore and Ben White, are also out of action.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus will miss the rest of the season after recently tearing his anterior cruciate ligament Defeat in the third round of the FA Cup against Manchester United.
