Mikel Arteta's defensive woes are set to deepen with the anticipated absence of star defender William Saliba for the next fortnight, forcing a reshuffle in his backline. This comes at a crucial juncture for the Gunners as they strive to keep pace with Premier League leaders Liverpool and secure a direct entry into the Champions League group stage.

Mikel Arteta has admitted he is "very worried" about William Saliba's injury after the Arsenal defender missed Saturday's 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.

William Saliba's hamstring strain has given Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta a fresh injury headache to contend with during a hectic and potentially decisive spell of fixtures

Arsenal's defensive stalwart William Saliba is set for a spell on the sidelines after Sunday's medical checks revealed a hamstring issue, ruling him out for a crucial fortnight. The Frenchman missed the recent draw with Aston Villa, and in his absence, Jurrien Timber stepped up to fill the void at centre-half.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has managed only six minutes of action this season following a knee injury and his return date remains unclear. Ben White underwent surgery on a knee problem back in November and Arteta has hinted he could return towards the end of January.

Mikel Arteta says William Saliba was ruled out of Arsenal’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa due to a muscular injury. Saliba, 23, was missing from the matchday squad for Saturday’s 2-2 draw,

News of Saliba potentially missing a mammoth fixture against Man City is of course not good news, but the Frenchman seems to have escaped with the most mild grade of hamstring injury - a more severe issue could have rendered him unavailable for a few months.

Not for the first time, Arsenal felt the impact of being without William Saliba as they blew a two-goal lead at home to Aston Villa. The French defender missed Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw due to a hamstring injury and Mikel Arteta admitted after the game that he is “worried” given Arsenal’s lack of defensive options.

William Saliba missed Arsenal's dramatic draw with Aston Villa as Mikel Arteta sweated on his injury diagnosis with the defender due to be sidelined for several weeks

William Saliba is a concern for Arsenal’s match against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon after an apparent absence from training and worrying images from the win over Tottenham Hotspur.Photo by

Latest Arsenal injury news with Mikel Arteta offering a fresh update on William Saliba after he missed the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa