Back to the Crystal Palace Newsfeed

Mikel Arteta allays surgery fears and is 'hopeful' William Saliba returns from his back injury this season... while Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey are both ready to bolster side against Leeds

Mikel Arteta is hopeful William Saliba’s back injury will not rule him out for the rest of the season - but the Arsenal boss confirmed the defender will miss Saturday’s visit of Leeds.

As reported by Sportsmail, Saliba will not be fit for the first game of Arsenal’s run in after hurting his back in the recent Europa League defeat by Sporting.

He missed their final game before the international break – a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace – and Arteta conceded it is ‘tricky’ to know when the 22-year-old will return.