Arsenal defender William Saliba set to miss Man City clash due to worrying back injury

Arsenal have major concerns over William Saliba’s lower back injury amid serious ‘structural damage’ which could result in a long-term lay off if he plays again this season.

Saliba is now expected to miss Wednesday’s crucial clash at a Manchester City, a game that could decide the destination of the Premier League title.

The centre-back’s recent absence has coincided with the team’s worrying run that has seen them draw the previous three matches – conceding seven goals in that time.

The nature of Saliba’s injury has not been fully communicated, though sources have told Mail Sport that the back problem is linked to painful ‘structural damage’ to his lower back that has also caused concern to one of his lumbar discs, although the club insist his prolonged absence is not as a result of a disc problem.

When Saliba suffered the injury against Sporting Lisbon on March 16, the medics were so concerned that they feared he would miss the rest of the season.

Mikel Arteta’s men have struggled without Saliba, drawing their last three league matches

But the defender has been desperate to play again given the fact his team are in the midst of a title race.

Saliba has undergone an intense treatment process in hope of getting him back on the pitch as soon as possible, with the club managing his recovery on a day-to-day basis.

Sources have indicated Saliba has returned to training on the grass in the last few days, raising hope that he could play some role in Wednesday’s huge clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

But as of Sunday night the club’s hopes of having Saliba available for the potential title decider were fading.

We revealed last week that Saliba is ready to play through the pain barrier to play in Arsenal’s title run-in despite concerns of injury complications if he is rushed back.

Arsenal are desperate to avoid that scenario and have been very cautious in plotting Saliba’s return.

Given the Gunners are in a position to win their first Premier League title since 2004 and Saliba’s importance to the team, there has been acknowledgement that having him available as quickly as possible could be a risk worth taking.

But the recovery process is not going as efficiently as Gunners medical had hoped and Saliba is set to miss the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men at the very least.

It remains to be seen whether Saliba can sufficiently recover in time to play in Arsenal’s subsequent matches as the club look to ensure the welfare of one of their most important players.

Arsenal are set to face Pep Guardiola’s City on Wednesday in a huge top-of-the-table clash