Arsenal and France have been dealt a major injury blow as William Saliba has been forced to withdraw from international duty.
Saliba played the full 90 minutes of the Gunners' 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
William Saliba looks dejected
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Saliba picked up an injury during the Carabao Cup finalCredit: Getty
However, it has since emerged that the star centre-back picked up an left ankle injury as he pulled out of France's upcoming fixtures against Brazil and Colombia.
France issues statement on Saliba injury
In a statement from the French Football Federation, Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix has been called up as Saliba's replacement.
"The Arsenal centre-back is suffering from recurring pain in his left ankle, requiring treatment and a minimum rest period of ten days," the statement added.
Saliba's injury is unwelcome news for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who was without fleet-footed attacker Eberechi Eze for the Carabao Cup final.
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Like Saliba, Eze's injury has forced him to miss England's matches against Japan and Uruguay, with Newcastle flyer Harvey Barnes named as his replacement.
Speaking after the Carabao Cup defeat, Arteta confirmed Eze had sustained a calf issue and that the summer signing would undergo another scan this week to determine the severity of the issue.
The loss of Eze and Saliba ahead of the final run home is a bitter blow for Arteta as they remain in the hunt for the treble.
Arsenal remain top of the Premier League with a nine-point buffer between them and second-placed City.
However, City have a game in hand, meaning the gap could be shrunk to six points with seven league games remaining.
The Gunners are on course for their first Premier League title since the famous 'Invincibles' campaign of 2003/04.
Mikel Arteta looks frustrated during the Carabao Cup final
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Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury blowCredit: Getty
Arteta's side have come agonisingly close to ending the title drought in recent times having earned three consecutive second-place finishes in the last three seasons.
Arsenal are also still in the mix for the FA Cup and the Champions League, where they will face Southampton and Sporting in the quarter-finals of each competition respectively.
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