Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of defender William Saliba heading into Sunday’s crucial clash with Crystal Palace.

Thursday’s Europa League defeat by Sporting took a significant physical and mental toll on Mikel Arteta’s side.

Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu were both taken off in the first half, before several team-mates seemed to suffer niggles and cramp by the penalty shootout.

Tomiyasu is set to miss Sunday’s game – the full back left the Emirates on crutches, having appeared to injured his knee in a nasty fall. Immediately after the game, Arteta admitted the issue looked ‘pretty serious’

Saliba will be assessed ahead of the game after hurting his back, with the manager conceding: ‘He had some discomfort and could not continue.’

The Frenchman has started every Premier League game alongside Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s back four and his absence would cause a potential headache for Arteta.

Ben White, who has played right back all season, would be an obvious replacement but Tomiyasu’s injury means Arsenal are without another recognised right-sided defender.

Arteta is already without Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny, but there is confidence that Gabriel, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Leandro Trossard – all of whom appeared to pick up knocks on Thursday – should be fit to face Palace.

And Arteta insisted: ‘We’ve been carrying injuries throughout the season. We had Emile (Smith Rowe) out for four months, (Gabriel) Jesus for four months, Thomas (Partey) for a month and a half, Alex (Zinchenko) for two and half months, Eddie for a month and a half.

‘We had quite a lot of injuries already, but we dealt with it. The disappointment is not going to go away it’s there now. But there’s also a clarity.

‘It’s 11 games to go now and we have a final against Crystal Palace. We have to recover and put all the focus there and win.’