Arsenal given an injury blow ahead of West Ham derby, crucial star missing

Arsenal suffered a big blow to their Premier League title hopes after dropping points late on against Liverpool at Anfield. Although, towards the end of the match, it could’ve been much worse, so fans will count their lucky stars.

The draw does mean that Mikel Arteta’s men must focus on winning every game. They cannot rely on City dropping points, particularly given their experience in title run ins. Instead, Arteta must focus on one thing and one thing only – 3 points every game.

With that being said, there will be some luck involved. Towards the end of the season when pressure mounts, this is the time you don’t want key players to become injured.

Unfortunately for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, they have suffered the wrath of missing William Saliba. The Frenchman, who went off injured in the Europa League loss to Sporting, is yet to make his comeback, despite being rested throughout the international break.

While Arteta has kept his lips sealed about his potential return, it doesn’t look likely that he’ll return in time for the Gunners’ next match, which is away in a London derby against West Ham United. According to Sky Sports, via the Boot Room, it’s unlikely that Saliba will return in time for the West Ham match, after he’s missing from training again. Although, the trusted English outlet did claim it was not impossible.

West Ham are currently battling relegation, while Arsenal are battling for the title. Therefore, you would assume that the game tips in favour of Arsenal. However, this is never the case. Teams that are battling relegation sometimes have more motivation than teams which are fighting for the title or top four. Particularly when you factor in the Gunners don’t have recent experience of challenging for titles, keeping key players fit is crucial for Arteta.

Do you think William Saliba will return in time for West Ham?