Arsenal fear that star defender William Saliba could miss the rest of the season in what would be a crushing blow to their Premier League title hopes.
Saliba, 22, has been ruled out for the last six weeks with a back injury and is set to miss Wednesday's crucial trip to face title rivals Manchester City. Since the French centre-back limped off early in the Gunners' Europa League last-16 defeat to Sporting Lisbon on March 16, they've failed to keep a clean sheet in all five fixtures without him, while back-up Takehiro Tomiyasu is also out injured.
Having drawn their last three league games to hand City the advantage, manager Mikel Arteta is desperate for Saliba to return. Unfortunately for him, though, there's a growing dread around the Emirates that Arsenal might have to wait until next season to see the 22-year-old back in action - when their title shot might have passed them by.
Although Saliba is willing to play through the pain barrier, Arsenal's medics are concerned that rushing him back too soon could lead to long-term absence. That's according to The Mail, who add that Saliba has 'structural damage' in his lower back. The Gunners had been hoping to have him available for Wednesday's potential title decider in Manchester, but their hopes faded over the weekend.
Arteta and co now face a dilemma over the France international: play him and risk a serious lay-off in the future or bite the bullet and fully rehabilitate him. Nine goals conceded in those fives games without Saliba has laid bare his importance to an inexperienced defensive unit, who are noticeably crumbling under the pressure.
After letting two 2-0 leads slip away to Liverpool and West Ham, Arsenal slumped to a 3-3 draw at home to rock-bottom Southampton on Friday. The Gunners remain five points ahead of City but Pep Guardiola's side boast two games in hand and will be favourites come Wednesday - especially with no Saliba to face.
Ahead of their deflating draw with Southampton, Arteta was coy when asked whether the Frenchman would play again this season. "I don't know, it's a bit early to know," he replied. "Probably next week we'll have more certainty. There is some evolution, he's doing more activity but is not there yet to start to throw him into the pitch at the level the sessions demand to compete in this league."
Saliba's injury could define Arsenal's looming title collapse, but former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has little sympathy. "It's a big blow, it obviously weakens them a lot when they don't have him at the back," Neville told Sky Sports.
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"Tomiyasu [being injured] as well is equally as bad because when you lose one, you wanna make sure that the guy that would've come in - either at centre-back or at right-back with Ben White moving in - but now obviously they're two down.
"It is causing them a problem but look, I cannot listen to that (complaints over injuries) because every team this season has lost players at certain times. City won the league three years ago against an unbelievable Liverpool team when Kevin De Bruyne was missing for quite a part of the season.
"[Ruben] Dias has been out this season, City have had lots of injuries, so for me I can't listen to the injury part, that was always going to happen, you were always gonna lose a player."
