Mikel Arteta handed fresh injury concern as defender becomes latest Arsenal player to withdraw from international duty

Arsenal defender Marli Salmon has withdrawn from the England Under-18 squad owed to injury.

The highly-rated imaginable was handed his archetypal elder outing of the play in the 4-2 win implicit Ipswich Town successful the EFL Cup past Tuesday.

The 17-year-old was acceptable to physique upon that show by representing the England Under-18 broadside for the archetypal clip successful his career.

Salmon, who has made 4 appearances for the Under-17s, was named successful the squad for upcoming friendlies against Colombia, Egypt and South Korea.

Salmon withdraws from England Under-18 squad

However, the Arsenal youngster volition person to hold for his Under-18s bow aft pulling retired of Will Antwi's squad.

Salmon has been forced to retreat owed to injury, though the nonstop quality of the contented is chartless astatine this stage. 

Antwi has since called up Chelsea defender Gabriel Sambou, who has represented Poland and England astatine younker level.  

As for Salmon, helium volition enactment connected his betterment astatine Arsenal, and provided the contented is not serious, helium should instrumentality to enactment for the club's Under-21 broadside successful a  Premier League 2 fixture against Sunderland connected October 10, unless Mikel Arteta includes him successful the squad for the Premier League gathering with Leeds connected the aforesaid day.

Arsenal youngster follows Rice successful withdrawal decision

The quality of Salmon's withdrawal comes connected the aforesaid time that midfielder Declan Rice pulled retired of Thomas Tuchel's England squad.

The crushed for Rice's lack is believed to beryllium load absorption aft a engaged twelvemonth that saw him play 55 games for Arsenal past word and 7 matches astatine the World Cup.

The 27-year-old has besides started six of Arsenal's 8 matches this season, including each 5 Premier League games.

Meanwhile, defender Piero Hincapie was omitted from Ecuador's squad owed to concerns implicit his fitness.