Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, secured by an Eberechi Eze goal, propelled them to the top of the Premier League, but manager Mikel Arteta is facing a mounting injury crisis.
Four key players picked up issues during the match, with Arteta offering vague details on their status.
William Saliba was surprisingly substituted at half-time for unstated discomfort.
Declan Rice limped off late in the game with a knock he sustained earlier.
Riccardo Calafiori was forced off at the same time as Rice; Arteta could only say, “Let’s see how they recover.”
Substitute Gabriel Martinelli “felt something” during his \text{25} minutes on the pitch, though Arteta predicted he would recover.
Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka’s second-half substitution was not injury-related but rather a precautionary measure, as the player had been ill and was fatigued.
The growing list of concerns casts a definite shadow over the Gunners’ title charge and their upcoming Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton.
