Mikel Arteta's defensive woes are set to deepen with the anticipated absence of star defender William Saliba for the next fortnight, forcing a reshuffle in his backline. This comes at a crucial juncture for the Gunners as they strive to keep pace with Premier League leaders Liverpool and secure a direct entry into the Champions League group stage.

Saliba had started 57 of Arsenal's previous 58 Premier League matches, only sitting out October's 2-2 draw with Liverpool due to suspension. Arteta is expected to be without his d

Mikel Arteta says William Saliba was ruled out of Arsenal’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa due to a muscular injury. Saliba, 23, was missing from the matchday squad for Saturday’s 2-2 draw,

Mikel Arteta has admitted he is "very worried" about William Saliba's injury after the Arsenal defender missed Saturday's 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Arsenal face a tough challenge in the Premier league when former manager, Unai Emery, and eighth place Aston Villa come to Emirates Stadium.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has managed only six minutes of action this season following a knee injury and his return date remains unclear. Ben White underwent surgery on a knee problem back in November and Arteta has hinted he could return towards the end of January.

Arsenal's defensive stalwart William Saliba is set for a spell on the sidelines after Sunday's medical checks revealed a hamstring issue, ruling him out for a crucial fortnight. The Frenchman missed the recent draw with Aston Villa, and in his absence, Jurrien Timber stepped up to fill the void at centre-half.

Arsenal centre-back William Saliba (23) is set to be out of action for the next two weeks, according to L’Equipe. The French centre-back missed the Gunners’ Premier League home game against Aston

News of Saliba potentially missing a mammoth fixture against Man City is of course not good news, but the Frenchman seems to have escaped with the most mild grade of hamstring injury - a more severe issue could have rendered him unavailable for a few months.

William Saliba missed Arsenal's dramatic draw with Aston Villa as Mikel Arteta sweated on his injury diagnosis with the defender due to be sidelined for several weeks

Arsenal's squandering of two Premier League points in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa was compounded by concerns about an injury to defender William Saliba that ruled him out of the game. Saliba was not even in the squad after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.