Mikel Arteta says William Saliba’s fitness situation hasn’t improved this week, and the defender will be unavailable against Chelsea.

• William Saliba remains unavailable for Arsenal’s match against Chelsea due to ongoing back issue.
• Mikel Arteta confirms that Saliba’s condition hasn’t improved this week, and he won’t be involved in the game.
• Concerns are growing that Saliba may not return for the remainder of the season, impacting Arsenal’s defensive options.

Arsenal are set to face Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, in a must-win game for Mikel Arteta’s side if they want to keep their fading title hopes alive.

Manchester City are now top of the table with a game in hand, so the Gunners can afford no further slip-ups. They have to pick up the maximum points and hope City take their eyes off the ball in the final month.

Unfortunately, hopes of a perfect run-in have already taken a hit, with Arteta confirming that William Saliba won’t be returning from injury just yet.

Giving an update on Saliba’s fitness, Arteta admitted not much has changed since his last press conference.

“Pretty similar,” Arteta said. “He’s not going to be involved tomorrow and we’ll have to wait until the next game to see where we are but he hasn’t improved this week at all.”

There are increasing fears that Saliba won’t be available for the remainder of the season.

There’s still almost a month to go, and the situation can obviously change quickly. But with no timeframe on the defender’s return, it doesn’t look too promising.

Saliba had made 33 appearances for Arsenal before his injury, playing the vast majority of matches in all competitions. His absence has certainly been felt keenly by Arteta’s side.