"We will have another test on him" - Mikel Arteta says he is worried about injury to Arsenal star

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his worries about William Saliba's injury after his side's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday (January 18). The Spaniard revealed that the star French defender was set to undergo further tests to determine the extent of the injury.

Akin to the past few seasons, Saliba has been a key player for the Gunners in the 2024-25 campaign. He has made 30 appearances across competitions this season, scoring twice and helping his side keep eight clean sheets.

The 23-year-old was seen clutching his hamstring in the final moments of a 2-1 North London derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday (January 15). With further assessments and treatment ongoing, he was left out of the Gunners' squad to take on Villa.

In Saliba's absence, Dutch youngster Jurrien Timber partnered with Gabriel Magalhaes in defense. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli (35') and Kai Havertz (55') put Arsenal 2-0 up but they conceded twice (60', 68') and settled for a 2-2 draw.

After the game, Arteta was asked about Saliba's knock. The 42-year-old delivered a concerning update, saying (via GOAL):

"No, (there is) not (much information) yet. I think tomorrow we will have more information, we will have another test on him and we will be more clear about that."

With other key players like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, and Riccardo Calafiori also sidelined with injuries, Arteta also expressed his consternation about the depth of his squad. He added:

"Yeah, for sure, especially with the numbers that we have in the squad and looking at our bench - very worried."

Arsenal's next fixture sees them host Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (January 22).

"We are very short" - Mikel Arteta makes claim about Arsenal's squad depth

After a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has claimed that the Gunners lack the squad depth that their Premier League title rivals have at their disposal. The Spanish tactician made a plea for immediate reinforcements to the squad in the January transfer window in order to keep their title hopes alive.

Speaking after the game, Arteta said (via GOAL):

"When you look at the performances, I don't know how many teams are playing at this level on the league, but when you look at the bench, probably you say, I think we are very short."

"There are moments, obviously. They (Liverpool) managed to do that, they made the subs and the subs made the impact - and they managed to change the game. And, in our side, it was the opposite, even though after conceding the two goals very close to each other, the danger was because I knew how the team was we could go downhill because we were physically drained," Arteta added.

Arsenal have been rumored with a move for a host of high-profile players in the January transfer window. Forwards Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) and Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), and a slew of other players continue to be linked with a transfer to North London.