Expert Gives Verdict on Declan Rice and William Saliba Injuries
Mikel Arteta faces several injury concerns in upcoming matches as Arsenal look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners opened a four-point lead over second-placed Bournemouth with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, although the end of the game was bittersweet for the north Londoners.
That’s because they left the all-London Emirates clash with four injury problems. Although Eberechi Eze put his former club to the sword with his first ever Arsenal goal, Arteta will be sweating several key players for his upcoming matches.
William Saliba, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori all had to be replaced in the win over the Eagles due to various fitness issues. Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli finished the match, but his manager confirmed he felt unwell.
Arsenal sweat over 4 players’ fitness ahead of Brighton clash
Arteta did not go into detail about Saliba’s injury, but explained that there was enough discomfort that the centre-back “had to be out after the first half”. Phsyio Scout, an online injury expert, predicted that the Frenchman should be back in action very soon, saying: “No obvious mechanics in the game to suggest a major injury. There should be a quick recovery.”
Likewise, Rice – who scored Arsenal’s only goal in the match – is not expected to be out for more than a week. After being hit in the first 45 minutes, the Englishman limped off in the final minutes. Physio Scout felt that a calf problem was troubling Rice: “From the footage it looked like a calf contusion from contact with a Palace player. This should resolve within a week.”
Calafiori was more comfortable coming off the field and shouldn’t be out for too long. It was suggested that fatigue was the main reason for its removal: “Again, no clear mechanism at issue, which usually means strain/fatigue rather than structural damage.”
The Gunners’ biggest concern with matches against Brighton and Burnley still to come this week is Martinelli. Ironically, the only one of the quartet is the one facing the longest period of absence. Martinelli was a second-half substitute, but could be out for two weeks or more if he strains his hamstring:
“For wide players, it’s often an early hamstring/adductor strain from repeated high-speed strain rather than a major strain. If strained, less than a week. Strain would be more than 2 weeks. Probably the most concerned of all of these players.”