Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits William Saliba's back injury is a concern.

However, he insists the defender's season isn't over.

Arteta said: "He is progressing, unfortunately he still has some discomfort in his back. We are trying to manage him in the best possible way. 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. And the pain starts to go away and we are more comfortable with the images we have of him that we can start to take him to the pitch and do certain activities with him. That's it."