Mikel Arteta provides William Saliba update after star withdrawn vs Crystal Palace
Mikel Arteta may have an injury worry after the Arsenal boss withdrew William Saliba at half-time against Crystal Palace.
Saliba was replaced by Cristian Mosquera for the second half after Eberechi Eze had given Arsenal a first half lead against his former club.
Fellow centre-back Gabriel was an injury doubt for Arsenal, but the Brazilian lasted the full 90 minutes of the contest.
Arsenal held on for a vital 1-0 win over Palace to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League after Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at Brentford and Man City‘s 1-0 loss at Aston Villa.
William Saliba ‘struggling’ with an issue
After the match, Arteta told the press, as per Simon Collings on X that Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice were “all struggling with issues that forced them to come off.“
Arsenal only have three days before their next fixture against Brighton in the Carabao Cup, where Arteta will be able to rotate his squad.
Bukayo Saka also forced off
Bukayo Saka was also substituted in the second half, with over 20 minutes of the match remaining despite Arsenal’s slender advantage.
Arteta said after the game that Saka has struggled with illness and has been missing training, as per Collings on X, [26 October].
| Minutes Played | 66 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Touches in opposition box | 1 |
| Offsides | 1 |
Arsenal have only won the Carabao Cup twice in their history, but risking greater injuries to stars will not be a gamble Arteta should be willing to take.