William Saliba was forced off midway through Arsenal’s win over Newcastle with the extent of his injury yet to be determined as the club prepare contract talks
Mikel Arteta said that the severity of William Saliba‘s injury wouldn’t be determined until after a scan with the Arsenal defender being forced off in Sunday’s win over Newcastle.
The Frenchman only made it until half-time before a hamstring issue meant he had to be hauled off with Riccardo Calafiori coming on to replace him. The Gunners are already without Gabriel and now look set to play the final game of the Premier League season without their first choice centre-half pairing.
Arsenal were still able to see off the Magpies, owing to Declan Rice’s winning strike, without Saliba, but they have struggled without him in the past. The three points has wrapped up second spot for the Gunners.
However the club will be hopeful that Saliba’s injury doesn’t sideline him for too long, albeit the defender will have a summer to recover should he need a prolonged period of recovery.
Arteta told Stadium Astro: “I think one of the last actions when he was tracking back he felt something in his hamstring so we will need to scan and see how he is.”
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Arsenal have begun contract talks with Saliba, who will enter the final two years of his deal at the Emirates. He’s flourished since becoming a regular at the Gunners three years ago and is now viewed among the best central defenders in Europe.
Real Madrid are circling and reportedly want to land Saliba but Arteta is confident that the player wants to stay put in north London. He said: “What I’m certain, because I had a conversation with him, that he’s so happy here, that he wants to continue with us, and what will happen in the future.
“Obviously it’s our negotiations and things that have to take time and process and [we have to] be on top of them, but I’m quite confident that William is very happy here and that’s the place that he wants to be.”
Saliba has previously said that there was “no rush” to sign a new deal but that he wanted to win “big things” with Arsenal. The French star, like so many of the current players at the club, is yet to claim any honours in red with the Gunners trophyless since 2020.
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