Premier League: Arsenal boss Arteta delivers Saliba injury update ahead of Wolves

Saliba has been out of action since sustaining an injury in training on November 26.

Arteta had originally suggested the French international would return "in a matter of days," but Saliba has since missed four consecutive matches.

His availability for Saturday's home fixture against Wolves remains uncertain, with a final decision pending Friday's training session.

Arteta revealed that the current issue stems from a previous ankle injury Saliba picked up earlier in the season against Liverpool at Anfield.

"It was something quite small," Arteta explained.

"It came from an ankle injury that he had and then it started to modify the way he was running and all that. He had to overload an area, which is something common."

The manager continued, "But at some point he was uncomfortable continuing to train and play and we had to stop it. He looks better but we have to wait and see if it's enough for him to be able to train with the team."

When questioned about his initial optimistic timeline, Arteta maintained his stance, replying, "That remains the same."

Arsenal's defensive woes have been compounded recently. Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel are still recovering from more significant injuries.

Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber were fit enough only for the bench against Club Brugge during the week after taking "really bad kicks" in the previous weekend's loss to Aston Villa. Calafiori will also miss the Wolves game due to suspension.