Arsenal dealt major William Saliba injury blow minutes into Liverpool clash

William Saliba was helped off against Liverpool (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Arsenal have been dealt a massive blow after William Saliba was forced off with injury after just four minutes against Liverpool . The defender collided with Hugo Ekitike and went down immediately holding his leg.

Mikel Arteta turned quickly to his bench, bringing on summer signing Cristhian Mosquera . Arsenal are already working without Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.

The Gunners are looking to bring in extra centre-back cover and have agreed to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen. A deal has been agreed for the Ecuadorian and he is expected to join on a season-long loan that will become permanent next summer.

Jakub Kiwior , who has been the main defensive replacement for Arteta in recent years, will leave. He is heading to Porto whilst Arsenal develop Mosquera after his arrival from Valencia.

Arsenal were also left with captain Martin Odegaard on the bench from the start at Anfield after he suffered an injury last weekend against Leeds United. Saka went off in the same game, adding to an early-season test of Arteta's squad.

Speaking ahead of the game, Arteta offered an injury update on his players. “I think it will be weeks, but hopefully not months,” he said about Havertz. “It's very sad. This is our profession and now we lose another player for many weeks.”

“Bukayo is doing better, but he will be out for a few weeks,” Arteta added. “No surgery. It's not as bad as the previous one, very unfortunate. It was an action that required full power from him, had to change direction and he felt something.”

As for Odegaard: “We don't know yet, he hasn't trained yet. If he does it will be tomorrow. No, there is an injury there but if everything can go well and he can cope with it.”

Ben White and Christian Norgaard were absent from the matchday squad on Merseyside as well. “We don't know,” Arteta said about the pair prior to the match. “Let's see how both are tomorrow to give them a chance for the game."