Willam Saliba is not yet ready to return for Arsenal against West Ham on Sunday, manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed.
Saliba has missed the last three Premier League games with a back injury suffered in Arsenal’s Europa League exit to Sporting Lisbon.
“William [Saliba] is still not available,” Arteta said.
“He is progressing well and we are hopeful we are going to have him available in the next few weeks.”
And asked whether he is close to returning to the training pitch, Arteta continued: “He’s not far off starting to do that.
“Obviously we need to be cautious because of the injury but he’s evolving well.”
Embed from Getty ImagesBut Arteta has confirmed that striker Eddie Nketiah is fit and available having recovered from an ankle problem.
The Gunners boss will take on his former Everton manager David Moyes on Sunday, who is in desperate need of points as he looks to steer his West Ham team away from relegation trouble.
And Arteta was full of praise for his former boss ahead of the clash.
“It’s admiration. I loved playing under him. I would go through a brick wall for him as would everyone from that squad,” he said.
“Really good coach, exceptional at managing the group and dealing with individuals, and a really special person. Really trustworthy and a man who honours his words. Someone I learned a lot from.”
“He saw things in me that I didn’t know and he asked me to play in positions I had never played in my life.
“The way he challenged me but gave me love, support and care at the same time was the right balance and was what I needed. He got the best out of me so it was really helpful.”
