Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal are concerned about William Saliba’s fitness after the defender was ruled out of their recent match against Aston Villa due to an injury issue.
Just hours before the game, Saliba began to feel discomfort and, in an effort to prevent further aggravating the problem, he made the decision not to feature in the fixture. His absence was keenly felt as Arsenal struggled defensively, and the Gunners were unable to secure a win against Villa. However, the club now fears that Saliba could be out for a longer period, which would be a significant blow to their defensive setup.
Saliba has been a reliable presence in Arsenal’s defence since joining the club and has a strong fitness record, missing only a few games in the past due to injury. Whenever he has been absent, the Gunners have often suffered, and his importance to the team is clearly reflected in their performances. Arteta and the coaching staff are now hoping for positive news regarding his recovery but are understandably concerned about the discomfort the Frenchman is experiencing.

Speaking to ESPN, Arteta gave an update on Saliba’s condition:
“I think tomorrow we will have more information, we will have more tests on him and we will be more clear about it.
“For sure [we are worried], especially with the numbers we have in the squad and looking at our bench. Very worried.”
Arsenal are desperate to have Saliba fit for their next match, as the defence has struggled without him. The team’s defensive record with Saliba in the side has been significantly stronger, and stats have confirmed that Arsenal perform better when the Frenchman is on the pitch. His absence highlights the vulnerability in the Gunners’ defence, underlining how vital he is to their ambitions this season.
With a crucial part of the campaign approaching, Arteta and his staff are anxiously awaiting further updates on Saliba’s fitness, hoping he will recover quickly and return to the lineup as soon as possible.
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Caught with our pants down again regarding injury to centreback Saliba! But didn’t we spend over 70M lately (Kiwior and Califiori) to cover injury to our centrebacks?
Let’s just say another 70M down the drain – as Kiwior it seems not up to par and Califiori is out injured again. We would be better off just Rob Holding. Basic logic. (Think I need to apply for Edu’s job).
TBH, we did have the RCB covered by signing Timber. It’s an unseen situation at right back that’s caused these issues. Not the fault of Arteta or anyone else.
The question that needs to be answered is why did we buy Kiwior in the first place then?
If he can’t play at LB, CB and MA doesn’t seem to trust him, but would rather make unenforced changes, why not just sell him?!
Because our manager has been allowed to give up on players
Could name you a team of them
Even Skelley
Your asking him to play at lb when you got two lb on the bench
Kiwior is cover for LCB and LB but clearly MLS appears to have emerged as a better option at LB. Is Arteta supposed to ignore MLS just because he has other players who can play LB?
Not every CB can cover both CB positions equally effectively. Surely people understand that CBs are not a generic group of players. If not there are people who can explain it to them. Maybe people want an explanation as to why Saliba always starts as the RCB.
Should we sell Kiwior at this time when we have such an injury crisis across the defence? There are still many games to play this season.
It is called looking at the problem from more than one angle.
If one has a CB that cost over £20 million and who can only play on one side, causing the manager to make three unenforced changes, what was the point of buying him.
Perhaps someone could explain that to the supporters who watched Partey struggle at RB and was at fault for one of their goals?
It’s fair to say that Kiwior hasn’t worked out as hoped. David put forward a view that MLS has exceeded expectations and if Raya gets crocked then Kiwior has height in his favour 😉
Both goals Ken
Of course, suggesting we sell him was a tongue in cheek remark David, as we might need him in goal if Raya gets injured!!
Ken1945,
Don’t even joke about it, I wouldn’t put it past Arteta to consider it. 🙄🤦♂️