Arsenal clinched their sixth Premier League victory on the bounce on Sunday afternoon, defeating Crystal Palace 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
The home side secured all three points thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Granit Xhaka and a Bukayo Saka brace, meaning they now lead second-placed Manchester City by eight points heading into the international break. The Gunners won without a number of injured first-team players, including the likes of William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Eddie Nketiah.
With that being said, football.london takes a look at everything we know regarding the trio's fitness issues, as well as any other players Mikel Arteta will be sweating over during the next fortnight.
READ MORE: Arsenal vs Crystal Palace highlights: Saka doubles helps Gunners move 8 points clear of Man City
William Saliba
William Saliba limped off in Arsenal's exit from the Europa League last week against Sporting CP, suffering an issue with his back that forced the youngster to be substituted. The Frenchman then missed the clash with Crystal Palace at the weekend as concerns mount over his availability.
The France Football Federation officially announced that Saliba would be replaced from the men's senior international team after the injury, having been called up for the squad earlier in the week. The defender will now undergo further scans before the scale and severity of the injury are determined.
What Arteta has said: "We hope Willy [Saliba] is going to be better news. Again We have to wait to tomorrow to get a better picture."
Expected return date: Unknown
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu was substituted inside the first ten minutes of the Gunners' clash against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium. The Japanese defender had overstretched for a tackle early in the match and had to receive treatment on the pitch shortly afterwards and was unable to continue.
The Japan international wasn't in the squad to face Crystal Palace at the weekend, with fears over the severity of his injury after being pictured on crutches.
What Arteta has said: "We don’t know. The doctor is assessing. We have one assessment and I think they need to have another assessment tomorrow. It’s not looking good. Tomi is not one to exaggerate things. He was really concerned straight away and we are concerned."
Expected return date: Unknown
Eddie Nketiah
During Jesus' absence, Nketiah rose to the challenge and fired Arsenal to a number of pivotal wins. However, the Gunners will now be without the Hale End Graduate until after the international break due to an ankle injury, football.london understands.
Nketiah, who sees his contract at the Emirates Stadium expire in 2027, has featured 33 times for Arsenal this season, directly contributing towards 11 goals — four of which came in wins over West Ham, Brighton and Manchester United during the congested schedule over New Years.
What Nketiah has said: Nketiah has offered a positive update on his recovery after posting a message on social media ahead of the clash against the Eagles. The Hale End graduate said: “Grafting! *muscle emoji* #SoonBack.”
Nketiah added another image to his Instagram story with the caption: “Rehab crew, monster mentality *brain emoji* *finger point emoji*."
What Arteta has said: "He’s getting better. He’s still in the boot. He’s still a few weeks away and we need to be patient. It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he’s not in a bad place."
Expected return date: Late March/Early April
Mohamed Elneny
Elneny started in the FA Cup win over Oxford United and played the whole 90 minutes. However, the Egyptian was absent for Arteta's squad for the 2-0 win at Tottenham, with a knee issue picked up in training ahead of the clash being assessed. Additionally, there was no place on the bench to face Manchester United.
A club statement last month then confirmed that the former Basel man will be out for an extended period of time, although no timescale was given on his expected return. Elneny has since penned a new deal at Arsenal as he closes in on a return.
Expected return date: N/A
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