Konsa withdrawal raises concern as Saliba nears long awaited return
Arsenal's injury picture has shifted again just days before the visit of Hull City, with Ezri Konsa forced off during the win over Slavia Prague while William Saliba edges closer to his first appearance of the season.
Konsa started alongside Gabriel in the Champions League trip to Prague but was substituted in the second half after what Mikel Arteta described as 'some issues'. The defender was seen feeling his knee in the first half before his eventual withdrawal.
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“Obviously he's playing a lot,” Arteta said after the match. “He's played so many games in the last few weeks. He had some issues and we decided to take him off.”
A further update on Konsa's condition is expected in Arteta's pre-match press conference this week, with his availability for Saturday's Premier League clash against Hull at the Emirates still uncertain. Arsenal's depth at centre back means there is unlikely to be any temptation to rush him back if there is genuine doubt over his fitness.
Saliba's long wait nearing an end
There was far better news on Saliba, who has not played for Arsenal this season after aggravating a back injury while on international duty with France at this summer's World Cup finals. The Frenchman avoided surgery and has gradually built up his training load, including 45 minutes in a behind closed doors friendly last week.
Saliba returned to full training on Tuesday and travelled with the squad to the Czech Republic, where he was named among the substitutes for the first time this season, though he remained unused.
“He's in a really good place,” Arteta said on Tuesday, as quoted by the Evening Standard. “The process and the timings and the manner that the injury has been dealt with, especially the feelings that Willy has been having along the way, they have been very, very positive. His evolution has been as expected, which is not always the case. He feels really comfortable. He played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week. He feels ready to go. Whether we use him or not now is a matter of what the team needs.”
Still no timeline for Saka
Bukayo Saka remains sidelined with the quad injury he sustained just 10 minutes into the Bayern Munich match last month, and has now missed four Arsenal games in a row. He will not be considered for the Hull fixture before the international break.
Arteta confirmed before the win over Liverpool that Saka required a further scan to establish the extent of the problem. “As I said, he needed another scan to see how the amount of fluid that was there was resolving, whether the tendon is touched and how badly it is touched,” Arteta said. “Afterwards we'll know more about it.”
With Saliba potentially available this weekend and Konsa's status set to become clearer in the coming days, Arteta's defensive options look set to be clarified before Arsenal head into the international break.
