Arsenal are set to be without defender William Saliba for the trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City this Wednesday, amid fears about serious structural damage being caused to his back.

What's the latest Saliba injury news?

Saliba has been unavailable for the Gunners' last five Premier League matches, as a result of a back injury, meaning bit-part player Rob Holding has been given the nod in defence.

There were initial hopes the £40k-per-week Frenchman would be able to return in time for Wednesday's huge game against Man City, with the Daily Mail reporting he had returned to training, and was willing to risk aggravating the issue by playing through the pain barrier.

However, the same publication now report the 22-year-old is set to miss his side's trip to the Etihad Stadium, as he has "serious structural damage" in his back, and Mikel Arteta does not want to risk causing a long-term injury.

There is doubt about whether the defender will even be able to feature again this season, such is the severity of the issue, despite the fact he is desperate to play, with his side currently in the race for the title.

With Arsenal pushing for top spot for the first time since 2004, they have considered taking the risk of starting their centre-back, but he will miss the upcoming game against Pep Guardiola's side at the bare minimum.

How much will Arsenal miss William Saliba?

The 6 foot 3 colossus' importance to the team has been evidenced by the Gunners' recent defensive issues, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five Premier League games, conceding three against a struggling Southampton side.

Holding has been very disappointing since coming into the side, with journalist Uche Amako labelling him as a "clear weak link" in the Arsenal backline after a subpar performance against West Ham United.

Arteta will be extremely disappointed Saliba will not be available for such a monumental game, having been hailed as "amazing" by Emmanuel Petit earlier this season, however it would be unwise to risk aggravating the injury, which could potentially rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.

The Arsenal boss has a big decision to make on Wednesday night, as Holding has not impressed, but he is very short on other options, with back-up player Jakub Kiwior playing just 14 minutes worth of Premier League football this season, and it would be a risk to start the Pole against the reigning champions.