Arsenal are in the midst of a heated and unexpected title race, with the Gunners sitting eight points clear at the top with only nine games left to go. However, the North London giants face Liverpool next and will be without one of their star players.
That man is none other than William Saliba, the highly-rated young center-back who has established arguably the best center-back partnership in the Premier League this season alongside Gabriel Magalhães.
The 22-year-old had started every single top-flight game this campaign until he suffered a back injury in the UEFA Europa League showdown with Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium. As a result, he has missed the club's last two games, 4-1 victories over both Crystal Palace and Leeds.
There was hope that the Frenchman would recover in time for the Anfield trip. However, according to Daniel Cutts, the sports news editor at The Sun, Saliba will play no part in Sunday's exciting showdown as the defender is still struggling with his issue and is yet to train properly.
William Saliba is set to miss Arsenal's clash at Liverpool on Sunday as he struggles with a back injury. He's not been able to train properly for the last few weeks. Hopes he'll be back soon though. #AFC
— Daniel Cutts (@Journo_Slash) April 4, 2023
Rob Holding will likely start in the back four in Saliba's absence, as he did against Palace and Leeds. While the Englishman performed admirably, there are still concerns over his ability to cope against the big boys.
Arsenal have a terrible record at Anfield, having failed to win at Liverpool's iconic stadium since September 2012. However, Klopp's men have been poor all campaign, losing 4-1 to Manchester City recently.
The Cityzens take on relegation-battling Southampton over the weekend, making the Liverpool trip a must-win game for the Gunners. Can they pull off a victory without star center-back William Saliba? Only time will tell.
