Arsenal star set to undergo fitness test before Crystal Palace clash, he'd be a big loss for Arteta

Arsenal face a nervous wait over the fitness of a key player ahead of their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Gunners host managerless Palace on Sunday as they look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to eight points.

Mikel Arteta's side crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday as they were beaten on penalties by Sporting CP.

Whilst disappointing it means they can put all their focus into the title race whereas rivals Manchester City are still competing in two other competitions.

One player who featured in the defeat but was forced off with an injury in the first half was defender William Saliba.

The Frenchman is set to be assessed ahead of the Palace game after hurting his back, as reported by the Mail.

Arsenal's gruelling schedule this season has clearly taken its toll on the squad with Arteta admitting after Thursday's defeat that it's been far from easy.

He said: "We had quite a lot of injuries already, but we dealt with it. The disappointment is not going to go away it's there now. But there's also a clarity.

"It's 11 games to go now and we have a final against Crystal Palace. We have to recover and put all the focus there and win."

It would be a huge loss for Arteta

Saliba has started every single game in the Premier League for Arsenal this season alongside Gabriel at the back and has been crucial in their title challenge.

If he were to miss Sunday's game it would be a huge loss for Arteta who would be faced with a big decision to make.

Rob Holding would be the obvious option to come in and with Palace having failed to win a game in 2023 if Saliba was going to miss any fixture at least it's this one.