Blow For Arsenal As Two Key Players Set To Miss Southampton Clash Tomorrow

Arsenal has been dealt a major injury blow ahead of Friday’s Premier League clash against Southampton as both Oleksandr Zinchenko and William Saliba are set to miss the game due to injury.

Mikel Arteta’s recent update on William Saliba’s injury has left Arsenal supporters worried, as the French defender has been struggling with a back injury since Arsenal’s Europa League defeat to Sporting Lisbon in March.

Despite Saliba’s attempts to work his way back to full fitness and help Arsenal in their title push, the 22-year-old has been sidelined for over a month now.

READ ALSO: Mauricio Pochettino Warns Mikel Arteta Over leaving Arsenal For PSG

The Gunners appeared to receive a glimmer of hope when Saliba was spotted in training with Mohamed Elneny earlier this week.

However, recent reports suggest that the Frenchman will not be involved in Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Southampton.

This news will come as a significant blow to Arsenal’s title aspirations, as Saliba had shown promising performances earlier in the season.

READ ALSO: What Arsene Wenger Told Mikel Arteta Ahead of Manchester City vs Arsenal Clash

With Arsenal needing all the points they can get in the upcoming fixtures, the absence of Saliba will undoubtedly be felt by the team and their fans.

The Gunners will now have to rely on other players to step up and fill the void left by Saliba’s absence. As for the Frenchman, he will have to continue working on his recovery and hope to make a comeback before the end of the season.

Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta confirmed the match had come too soon for Saliba and suggested he would also struggle to play a part in Wednesday’s clash with title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad.

“Regarding William we still have to wait a bit more. He’s not progressing as quick as we hoped. It’s a bit delicate. We want to be sure when we push him,” Arteta said, as reported by football.london.

READ ALSO: Manchester United ‘Close To Agreeing’ New Deal With 2 First Team Key Players

When asked if Saliba could potentially miss the rest of the season through injury, Arteta admitted he was unsure.

“I don’t know. It’s a bit early to do. There is some evolution. He’s doing more activity but he’s not ready yet to throw him in to that pitch,” he added.

To make matters worse for Arsenal supporters, Arteta confirmed Oleksandr Zinchenko would also miss the match against Southampton because of a groin injury.

“It’s a muscular injury and it needs some time to heal. We’re not there yet,” he added.

Arteta will hope to have Zinchenko available to face his former club City next week in a pivotal match in the title race.

Arsenal are four points clear of City at the top of the Premier League table, having played one game more than the defending champions.