Arsenal were without star centre-back William Saliba for their Premier League match against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium, leaving fans anxious over his unexpected absence.
Prior to this, Saliba’s only missed game of the season came due to a one-match suspension following a red card in the 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in October. He had been widely expected to start alongside Gabriel for the Villa fixture, but his omission from the lineup caught many by surprise.
Manager Mikel Arteta shed some light on the situation: “He felt something before the match, something muscular. I don’t think it’s too serious, but he couldn’t train on Friday and wasn’t feeling well enough to play. We’ll have to assess the situation.”
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With Arteta providing limited details, concerns over Saliba’s availability are mounting as Arsenal head into a crucial stretch of fixtures. The Gunners are chasing Liverpool in the Premier League title race—Liverpool secured a vital 2-0 win against Brentford earlier in the day—and are preparing for Champions League clashes against Dinamo Zagreb and Girona. They also face a daunting task in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Newcastle.
Saliba’s absence adds to Arsenal’s growing injury woes. Bukayo Saka remains sidelined with a torn hamstring, while defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White are also unavailable. Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus is out for the season after suffering an ACL tear during the recent FA Cup loss to Manchester United, leaving Arteta with a depleted squad at a pivotal moment in the campaign.