Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that William Saliba will play no part in Saturday's Premier League contest against Leeds United due to a back injury.
The 21-year-old sustained the problem during the second leg of Arsenal's Europa League last-16 clash with Sporting Lisbon, although no timeframe was immediately placed on his recovery.
Rob Holding subsequently stepped in for the Gunners' 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, and Saliba was unable to link up with the France squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers with the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland.
Having proven his worth to Arteta during his breakthrough season at the Emirates, Saliba's fitness was understandably one of the main talking points of Friday's pre-game press conference.
Speaking to reporters, Arteta revealed that the centre-back was still experiencing discomfort and would not be available at the weekend, but he should be given the green light to play again before the end of the season.
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"He is progressing, unfortunately, he still has some discomfort in his back. We are trying to manage him in the best possible way," the 41-year-old said.
"Unfortunately he's not gonna be fit for this game and we're trying and he's trying to do everything to feel better and get back training. But not yet.
"Yeah, I am very hopeful and he is as well. Back injuries are a bit tricky and how they evolve with the load that you put in certain areas. He's very positive and the medical staff are positive about it.
"Let's push it every day and see how he copes with that and how the pain develops as well. He's so willing to be back in the team. Hopefully that we get the right load for him, the right amount of rest that he needs while we're keeping him active."
With Saliba absent, Holding - who put in a strong showing against Palace - will be expected to deputise alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, as Arsenal seek to maintain or increase their eight-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.
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The former Saint-Etienne man is one of several injury concerns for the Gunners to manage ahead of the weekend, as knee surgery victims Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny continue their long-term recoveries.
Eddie Nketiah is still not training with the group due to an ankle injury, but Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney were both seen in full training on Thursday morning.
Partey was an unused substitute in Ghana's second Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Angola on Monday due to a minor concern, but Arteta expects the midfielder to prove his fitness for Saturday.
"Obviously he wasn't fit enough to play the second game, but hopefully he is going to be back for the weekend," Arteta said on Partey.
Arsenal enter the weekend having played a game more than Man City, who could cut the gap at the top back down to five points with victory over Liverpool in the lunchtime kickoff.
Ben Knapton
