Arsenal vs Aston Villa: Injury woes deepen for Gunners as William Saliba misses out

The Frenchman misses only his second Premier League game of the campaign after feeling discomfort following the Gunners’ midweek victory over Tottenham. He reportedly experienced tightness in his hamstring during the latter stages of Arsenal’s 2-1 win against their North London rivals. Although the club has described the injury as “minor,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta opted not to risk the defender, emphasizing the importance of preserving Saliba for the crucial games ahead.

Arsenal are without William Saliba for their matchup with Aston Villa! 🚨

The defender misses out having been ever present in their last seven matches…#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/TNeuz3BOKX

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 18, 2025

“He felt something before the match, something muscular,” Arteta confirmed in his pre-match interview. “I don’t think it’s too much, but he could not train yesterday. He wasn’t feeling good enough to play, so we have to assess the situation.” The decision to leave Saliba out of the squad is a precautionary move, given Arsenal’s upcoming schedule, which includes pivotal matches that could define their title challenge.

In Saliba’s absence, Arteta has reshuffled his defense. Jurrien Timber replaces him at center-back alongside Gabriel, while Thomas Partey will fills in at right-back. This defensive adjustment is made more challenging by the continued unavailability of Riccardo Calafiori, who remains sidelined with youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly starting at left back. Arteta will be relying on Partey’s versatility and Timber’s composure to compensate for Saliba’s absence.

Donyell Malen in line to make Aston Villa debut 

Donyell is here 💜

You can win our new arrival’s shirt by entering the prize draw below ⤵️

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 16, 2025

Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa had no absences due to any new injuries as the former Arsenal manager named a strong squad for his return to the Emirates stadium. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez captains the side as John McGinn continues to make his return to the squad. They have a solid defensive line to deal with Arsenal’s attack with Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings partnering in defense as Ian Maatsen gets a rare start at left back.

New signing Donyell Malen is in line to make his debut for the club after signing from Borussia Dortmund in a £21 million deal. The Dutch winger is named on the bench and could be brought on in the second half to make his Premier League debut against his former club. Malen spent two years in Arsenal’s academy before the club sold him back to the Netherlands, where he made a name for himself.