Arteta reveals serious worry as key man suffers fresh setback
Arsenal suffered a setback in their 1-0 defeat against Liverpool after defender William Saliba was withdrawn early due to an ankle problem.
Mikel Arteta confirmed after the game that the Frenchman sustained the issue in the warm-up before kick-off, raising concerns about his condition.
Despite attempting to play through the discomfort, Saliba could not continue and was replaced during the opening stages.
On four minutes, goalkeeper David Raya collected a long ball over Arsenal’s defence, and moments later Saliba went down needing medical attention.
Arteta wasted no time and immediately prepared for the summer arrival of Cristhian Mosquera to come on in his place.
Saliba appeared in visible pain after winning a header under pressure from Hugo Ekitike, who backed into him during the early exchanges.
Arsenal’s medical staff were seen checking his ankle and lower leg before he was eventually forced to depart.
Arteta voices concern over defender’s injury
When asked about the situation, Arteta admitted he was worried about the 24-year-old’s condition and explained the decision to withdraw him.
“I am because if he cannot play a game of this stature after you try it something is wrong,” Arteta replied when asked if he was worried about Saliba’s injury.
“He twisted his ankle during the warm-up. We believed he could carry on. I could see in his first two actions that he could not cope, and we had to get him off.”
The loss of Saliba added to Arsenal’s growing injury list at the start of the new season. Arteta has already seen key players ruled out, and the situation threatens to complicate his plans for the coming weeks.
The German midfielder is expected to be sidelined for a significant period as he begins his recovery.
Arsenal’s campaign has barely started, yet fitness problems have already forced Arteta to make several changes to his side.
With Saliba’s condition now under doubt, the manager faces another anxious wait ahead of the next fixtures.
The Gunners will hope that the French defender’s injury is not as serious as feared, especially with a demanding run of matches to come.
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