William Saliba facing race against time to be fit for Arsenal's clash with Man City | OneFootball

Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is at risk of missing the visit from Manchester City at the start of next month with a hamstring injury, according to a report.

The dependable defender was sidelined for Saturday's 2-2 draw at home to Aston Villa with an issue which Mikel Arteta cautiously described as "something muscular".

Without their French pillar in the heart of defence, Arsenal conceded a pair of goals from two crosses which were aimed to the area of the backline Saliba usually patrols, giving up a 2-0 lead and losing ground to Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Saliba had started 57 of Arsenal's previous 58 Premier League matches, only sitting out October's 2-2 draw with Liverpool due to suspension. Arteta is expected to be without his defensive lynchpin for another two weeks, according to L'Equipe.

If the French publication's timeline is accurate, Saliba will definitely miss Arsenal's next three matches; their final league phase Champions League fixtures against Dinamo Zagreb and Girona on either side of a Premier League trip to struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

William Saliba (left) kept Richarlison quiet during his last Arsenal outing / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

The Gunners begin February by hosting Manchester City on the first Sunday of the month. That fixture has been a title decider in each of the past two seasons, but is not as lofty this term. City's mid-season wobble has left them targeting Champions League qualification rather than a fifth consecutive title, although they have tentatively begun to return to form in recent weeks.

Just three days after that top-flight head-to-head, Arsenal travel to Newcastle United's St James' Park for the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on 5 February. Saliba endured an uncharacteristically difficult evening up against Alexander Isak in the first leg, as the Gunners were consigned to a 2-0 defeat.

As Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United, they have a ten-day gap between fixtures while the fourth round is played out on the second weekend of February. If he isn't already, Saliba should be fit and available by the end of that mini-hiatus.