William Saliba to reportedly miss crunch run of Arsenal fixtures due to injury

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans have received an unwelcome update on William Saliba’s fitness.

The defender, who injured his ankle during the defeat to Liverpool last time out, is expected to miss another three to four weeks, according to leading French outlet L’Equipe.

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Saliba missed the current international break, and in their update they claim he is also ‘unlikely’ to be back for France’s October fixtures.

The 2018 World Cup winners continue their qualifying campaign for the 2026 edition in the Americas against Azerbaijan and Iceland on October 9 and October 10.

In that timeframe Arsenal have seven matches scheduled across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.

Some of them are crucial too, with an away trip to Athletic Bilbao in Europe (Sept 16), a home tie against Manchester City (Sept 21), and another tough away tie in Newcastle (Sept 28).

Saliba lasted less than five minutes in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last time out.

Post-match, manager Arteta bizarrely revealed that the injury was sustained in the warm-up, but he played anyway.

“We lost Martin [Odegaard], we lost Kai [Havertz] and then we lost Bukayo [Saka]. In the warm-up we lost Saliba,” the Basque coach said.

Arsenal injury news

Along with those injuries, Arsenal also have Christian Norgaard and Ben White in the treatment room, but they could both return next up against Nottingham Forest, as could Odegaard.

Gabriel Jesus remains a long-term absentee, with a knee injury keeping him out of action since January.

Saliba signed for the Gunners in 2019 for £27million before three loan spells that kept him in France.

Arsenal's upcoming fixtures

Nottingham Forest (home) Sept 13
Athletic Bilbao (away) Sept 16
Manchester City (H) Sept 21
Port Vale (A) Sept 24
Newcastle (A) Sept 28
Olympiacos (H) Oct 1
West Ham (H) Oct 4

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He’s since become one of the first names on the teamsheet at the Emirates, and the same can be said for France, having played every minute of their Euro 2024 campaign.

More French injury news

The injury isn’t just bad news for Arsenal, but France too, having lost key men and Ballon d’Or contenders Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue during their 2-0 win over Ukraine.

That’s had a knock-on effect for their club Paris Saint-Germain, who have temporarily lost head coach Luis Enrique from training after he suffered a broken collarbone while cycling.

PSG have since expressed their outrage at the situation, penning an open letter where they claim the French Football Federation were warned about Dembele and Doue’s fitness.

They wrote: “Following the confirmation of injuries to its players called up to the French national team, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue – with significant sporting consequences for the players and the club – Paris Saint-Germain sent a letter to the French Football Federation urgently calling for a new medical-sports coordination protocol between clubs and the national team, more transparent and collaborative, to make the health of players and their medical support an absolute priority.

“Paris Saint-Germain, which monitors its players’ medical needs throughout the year and has access to precise and detailed information, had provided the Federation with concrete medical information, even before the start of the French national team’s training session, on the workload its players could bear and the risk of injury. 

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“The club deplores the fact that these medical recommendations were not taken into account by the French national team’s medical staff, as well as the total lack of consultation and consultation with its medical teams.

“Paris Saint-Germain, which wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the federal mission and to the French team, whose influence constitutes a fully shared objective, hopes that these regrettable events will pave the way for the establishment of a new formalized framework for medical coordination, guaranteeing systematic, documented and reciprocal exchanges between the medical staff of the clubs and the national team, as well as respect for a reinforced precautionary principle in the summoning and use of players, particularly when they present a pathology currently being treated.

“The recent serious and avoidable incidents must result in swift and immediate corrective action. 

“The Club stands ready to actively contribute to this collective effort, in the interest of the players and professional football as a whole.”