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Arsenal injury update: Ezri Konsa, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka latest return dates
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- Arsenal injury update: Ezri Konsa, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka latest return dates
Arsenal have been dealt a new injury scare, just when fitness issues were beginning to clear up for Mikel Arteta.
After Arteta issued a rather worrying update on Eberechi Eze following Arsenal's first Premier League win over Liverpool at Anfield since 2014 , supporters were able to breath a massive sigh of relief when the attacking midfielder trained ahead of the Slavia Prague clash.
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Eze was then named in the starting lineup for the Champions League tie, playing for just over an hour as the Gunners emerged victorious at the Fortuna Arena .
However, it was the substitution of Ezri Konsa in the second half that has provided cause for concern - even if William Saliba was named in the matchday squad for the first time after recovering from a back injury.
As such, it remains to be seen if Konsa will be available for selection when Arsenal take on Hull at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday for their final match before the November international break.
With that in mind, here is the latest Arsenal injury news and return dates…
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Ezri Konsa
Konsa started against Slavia Prague alongside Gabriel, but was forced off in the second half with "some issues".
In the first half, Konsa was seen feeling his knee and Arteta confirmed that his withdrawal was fitness related rather than a tactical decision.
"Obviously he's playing a lot," Arteta said . "He's played so many games in the last few weeks. He had some issues and we decided to take him off."
Ezri Konsa was not able to complete the full 90 minutes against Slavia Prague (Getty)
A further update on Konsa is expected in the pre-match press conference later in the week, though Arsenal's strength in depth in central defence means they will not have to take any risks with the summer signing.
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Potential return date: Saturday November 7, vs Hull (H)
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has now missed four Arsenal games in a row with a quad injury sustained after just 10 minutes against Bayern Munich last month.
He is not expected to feature against Hull before the international break, but fans are still in the dark as to how long he will be sidelined for.
Amid fears Saka could be out for action for up to eight weeks , it has since been revealed that he is set to undergo another scan before a definite timeline can be stated.
Bukayo Saka is out indefinitely for Arsenal with a quad injury (Getty)
"As I said, he needed another scan to see how the amount of fluid that was there was resolving, whether the tendon is touched and how badly it is touched," Arteta said before the win over Liverpool .
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"Afterwards we'll know more about it."
Potential return date: Unknown
William Saliba
William Saliba has yet to play for Arsenal this season due to a long-term back injury that he exacerbated while on duty for France at the World Cup finals this summer.
He was able to avoid surgery and has recently played 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly.
The Frenchman resumed full training on Tuesday before the Slavia Prague game and then travelled with the squad to the Czech Republic.
While Saliba was an unused substitute in Prague, Arteta has revealed the defender is ready to feature when called upon - which may be as soon as this weekend.
Big boost: William Saliba has recovered from a back injury (Getty)
"He's in a really good place," Arteta said on Tuesday . "The process and the timings and the manner that the injury has been dealt with, especially the feelings that Willy has been having along the way, they have been very, very positive.
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"His evolution has been as expected, which is not always the case. He feels really comfortable.
"He played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week. He feels ready to go. Whether we use him or not now is a matter of what the team needs."
Potential return date: Saturday November 7, vs Hull (H)
