Arsenal defender William Saliba is set to miss a few weeks due to an ankle injury. The centre-back remained at London Colney over the September international break after sustaining the injury, leaving Arsenal to manage without one of their key defensive figures.
Mikel Arteta revealed the circumstances of Saliba’s injury in a recent press conference: “He twisted his ankle during the warm-up. He believed he could carry on and play, but in the first two actions, it was clear he couldn’t cope, and we had to get him out, unfortunately.” Saliba only managed a few minutes in Arsenal’s recent defeat at Anfield, as his replacement, Cristhian Mosquera, had limited impact.
The exact timeline for Saliba’s return remains unclear. Some clarity is expected in Arteta’s next press conference ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League fixtures, including their weekend clash against Nottingham Forest. In his absence, France has adapted well, with Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano forming the defensive partnership during World Cup qualification wins over Ukraine and Iceland.
Saliba recently offered a brief update on social media. Sharing France’s 2-1 victory over Iceland on Instagram, he posted the full-time graphic accompanied by three fire emojis and two thumbs-up emojis, marking his first message since the injury. Meanwhile, teammate Bukayo Saka is also expected to miss most of Arsenal’s matches this month, further complicating Arteta’s squad selection.
