Arsenal injury updates as Eddie Nketiah nears comeback and William Saliba awaits news

Arsenal will hope for some positive news over the coming days as they prepare to resume their Premier League title bid with a home game against Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.

As it stands, Mikel Arteta’s men sit eight points clear of nearest rivals Manchester City, who do also hold a game in hand on the Gunners as the final stages of a thrilling season rapidly approach. Both sides will hope to be as close to full strength as possible when the majority of their players return from international duty later this week - but for the Gunners, there are also concern over other members of their squad that have suffered injuries in recent weeks.

LondonWorld takes a look at the latest injury updates on four players and assesses when the quartet could return to action.

Takehiro Tomiyasu - Knee injury

The Japan international suffered a ‘significant injury’ to his right knee in the second leg of the Gunners Europa League round of 16 defeat against Sporting CP. The 24-year-old defender will be out for the remainder of the campaign and will hope to return in time to take part in preparations for next season.

The Gunners released an update on his injury in a statement released last week. It read: “Tomi has had successful surgery in London on Tuesday and will be ruled out for the remainder of this season. Everyone at the club will now be working hard with Tomi, so he can join pre-season training ahead of next season.”

Expected return date: June 2023

Eddie Nketiah - Ankle injury

The Gunners striker has been one of the many positives throughout a remarkable season after helping his side cope with the long-term injury suffered by summer signing Gabriel Jesus. However, an ankle injury has hampered Nketiah’s momentum but his is closing in on a return and is believed to be targeting the visit to Liverpool on the second week of April for a possible comeback.

Speaking earlier this month, Gunners manager Arteta said: "He's getting better. He's still in the boot. He's still a few weeks away and we need to be patient. It was a nasty injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank God it could have been worse. So he's not in a bad place."

Expected return date: 9th April 2023

Mohamed Elneny - Knee injury

The Egypt international suffered a ‘significant injury’ to his knee in a training session in January and the Gunners confirmed he was set to be ruled out for ‘an extended period of time’. The midfielder underwent surgery at the time and it seems likely his recovery will not be finalised until the summer.

Expected return date: June 2023

William Saliba - Back injury

The French defender has been in outstanding form throughout the season and his partnership with Gabriel has been one of the key reasons behind the Gunners’ push for the Premier League title.

However, the centre-back was ruled out of the 4-1 win against Crystal Palace prior to the international break after suffering a back injury in the second leg of the Europa League tie with Sporting CP. That forced Saliba to pull out of the France squad and will undergo further scans this week before a firm decision is made on any possible return date.

Expected return date: Unknown