Arsenal's Title Hopes in Jeopardy as William Saliba Injury Forces Emergency Substitution

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that defender William Saliba has encountered complications in his recovery from a minor ankle problem that has prevented him from participating in team training sessions over recent weeks.

Saliba was sidelined for the 1–1 stalemate against Chelsea at the end of last month but wasn't anticipated to be out for an extended period, with Arteta stating the French international was merely "days" from making his return. However, he has subsequently been absent for three additional matches.

The puzzling nature of his ongoing unavailability has caused concern among supporters during a spell when Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera are also out with their respective injuries and Jurriën Timber is dealing with a knock, leaving Arsenal with restricted defensive choices for Saturday's clash against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Before the fixture, Arteta initially attempted to remain tight-lipped about Saliba's status. "We must wait and see, yesterday he didn't participate in training. We have an additional day, let's see if he can [feature] tomorrow."

The Arsenal manager was, nevertheless, questioned further on the matter and proceeded to acknowledge that Saliba's recovery from what he disclosed to be an ankle problem took an unforeseen turn.

"It was something relatively minor," he clarified. "It originated from an ankle injury that he sustained, and then he began to alter his running technique and such, and he started to put excessive strain on a particular area, which is quite typical.

"But eventually, it became too uncomfortable to continue with training and matches, and we had to halt his involvement. He appears improved but we must wait and see if it's sufficient for him to be able to train alongside the squad."

Late Fitness Tests for Rice, Timber, Trossard

Saliba's fitness concern isn't the sole headache in Arteta's roster, with several key players all dealing with problems significant enough to keep them out of action.

Central midfielder Declan Rice was absent from the 3–0 Champions League triumph against Club Brugge during the week due to illness, while Timber was also unavailable along with winger Leandro Trossard.

In typical fashion, Arteta refused to disclose whether any of the three would be available to take on Wolves in a match that could see the Gunners surrender their position at the summit of the Premier League table with anything short of three points.

Starting with Timber, Arteta commented: "It depends on how he feels today. It was a knock that he sustained and he wasn't feeling comfortable. Whether it's tomorrow or not we shall see."

It was a comparable response regarding Rice. "Let's see how he progresses today, he was unwell. Usually within a few days, but let's see how he manages."

Trossard's comeback was also characterized as a "matter of days," though Arteta did, at minimum, confirm there were no new injuries in the squad following the win over Brugge.