Mikel Arteta confirms William Saliba is still unavailable due to back injury but hopes defender will return ‘in the next few weeks’… but Eddie Nketiah is fully fit ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming London derby against West Ham
- Arsenal will face West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday
- Saliba has been out of action since March after injury in the Europa League
- But academy product Eddie Nketiah has been training with the squad all week
William Saliba will not be available for Arsenal’s clash with West Ham on Sunday, confirms Mikel Arteta.
The defender has been out of action since limping off against Sporting Lisbon last month, missing the last three matches for the league leaders.
The Frenchman’s continued absence from training has been a cause for concern for fans, and Arteta was unable to give a wholly positive update in his press conference on Friday.
‘He is evolving well and we are hopeful we are going to have him available in the next few weeks,’ Arteta noted of his player.
Mikel Arteta provided an update on injured defender William Saliba ahead of Sunday’s match
The Frenchman has been out of action since picking up an injury against Sporting Lisbon
Eddie Nketiah was pictured in training earlier this week and will be available to face West Ham
By contrast, forward Eddie Nketiah has been deemed fully fit ahead of the weekend derby.
The player has been out since the start of March, after picking up an ankle injury in February that worsened as he continued to feature.
Arsenal sit three points ahead of Manchester City going into the weekend, and will be determined to attempt to restore their cushion after their 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
Arteta added that the only thing guaranteed to play a role in the title race was ‘luck’.
‘You need luck in the title race,’ he said.
‘That luck and what you think is going to happen. Sometimes it’s about inches and they have to go your way.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk