Arsenal’s Premier League run-in has suffered a significant setback as both William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Saliba has been sidelined since March due to a back problem, while Zinchenko is currently battling a calf injury.
The absence of these two defenders, who have played crucial roles in Arsenal’s surprising title bid this season, will continue until the summer, as reported by The Athletic.
In light of this situation, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is expected to call upon Kieran Tierney to fill in for Zinchenko at left-back.
Additionally, he has shown confidence in the young talent Jakub Kiwior, favoring him as a left-sided center-back alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in recent weeks, ahead of Rob Holding.
However, Arsenal faces an uphill battle in their pursuit of the Premier League title. They now find themselves as distant second favorites, trailing the in-form Manchester City by a point, with Pep Guardiola’s side still having a game in hand.
This latest injury blow only compounds the challenges faced by Arteta’s team, who have managed to win just two of their past six matches.
Looking ahead, Arsenal’s immediate focus lies on their upcoming match against Brighton, where they aim to maintain pressure on Manchester City in the title race.
Following that, they have fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Wolves to conclude their league campaign.