Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta optimistic on William Saliba’s comeback before season end

Mikel Arteta has not ruled out William Saliba’s return to the field this season despite his back injury. Saliba has been out of action for seven games, and Arsenal’s performance in the Premier League has been affected, with one win in five. Arteta made it clear that Saliba’s absence has been felt, as Arsenal’s defense has conceded in each of the games without him. Although the player’s recovery is taking longer than expected, Arteta is hopeful that Saliba will contribute to the team before the end of the season. The team’s defensive injuries may have worsened even further, as Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off during Tuesday’s win over Chelsea and Tomiyasu was also sidelined. Arsenal will have to assess Gabriel’s condition before making a decision. Arsenal may be four points adrift of Manchester City by the time they kick-off against Newcastle. Saliba had been involved in every Premier League game before being struck down by his niggling back issue.