Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal’s star will miss crucial clash against Newcastle.

Arsenal’s William Saliba is set to miss out on the Gunners’ upcoming match against Newcastle United due to a lingering back injury. However, Manager Mikel Arteta remains optimistic that the young Frenchman will recover in time to play a part in Arsenal’s remaining fixtures of the season.

Saliba has missed Arsenal’s last seven matches, which coincided with a dip in form that saw the team lose ground in the title race, falling behind leaders Manchester City. The Gunners’ defence has struggled in Saliba’s absence, conceding in every game he has missed. Prior to the injury, Saliba was a mainstay in Arsenal’s backline, featuring in every Premier League match.

Arteta updated the media on Saliba’s status, stating that while the player is improving, he has not been able to join the first team in training. “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),” Arteta said.

The manager acknowledged that the healing process is crucial, saying, “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.”

Despite Saliba’s lengthy spell on the sidelines, Arteta refused to rule out the possibility of the defender returning to the pitch before the end of the season. “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,” Arteta stated.

Arsenal’s defence has been plagued with injuries recently, with both Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu sidelined. In Arsenal’s most recent match against Chelsea, Gabriel Magalhaes was also forced off due to injury, potentially adding to the Gunners’ defensive woes.