Arsenal have been handed a potential title boost with the Gunners hopeful William Saliba can play some part in the run-in.
The defender has missed the last seven games with a back injury and his absence has coincided with a wobble from the Gunners, who have ceded the Premier League title advantage to a relentless Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's men are a point clear at the top with a game in hand and Arsenal are likely to require maximum points from their final four games to have any chance of lifting the trophy for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The first of those matches is at third-placed Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon and while France international Saliba will miss the trip to St James' Park, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said the 22-year-old has not yet been ruled out for the season. Arsenal have conceded a goal in each of the seven games Saliba has missed while they also have Takehiro Tomiyasu sidelined and saw Gabriel Magalhaes forced off during Tuesday’s win over Chelsea.
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“We will have to see tomorrow how he is,” Arteta said of the Brazilian. “But he could not finish the game so that was a big sign. We’ll have to see tomorrow.”
Delivering a fitness update on Saliba, Arteta added: “Not a lot of progress. He’s feeling better every day but he’s not been able to have any activity around the first team so we don’t expect him to be with us (at Newcastle).
“It’s about the healing process; pain-wise and the things he can do off the pitch he’s in a good place, but we have to build that capacity with the right load so that he’s able to contribute to the team.”
Pushed on whether it was time to accept Saliba was out for the season, he added: “We are not there yet because we’re always hopeful and the players are pushing to play. If that’s the case we’ll announce it, but hopefully not.”
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