Arteta Confident in Saliba's Return Ahead of Slavia Showdown
Mikel Arteta is optimistic that William Saliba is set to make his season debut for Arsenal following a 45-minute appearance in a behind-closed-doors match last week.
After suffering a back injury during the World Cup, the French defender began training solo last month. Now, he’s fully back in the mix and has traveled with the squad to face Slavia Prague. While it’s uncertain if Saliba will play, Arteta is convinced that the 25-year-old is ready to contribute.
When asked if he would approach Saliba’s return cautiously, Arteta replied, “Yes, but now you are in, or not. And now he’s in, and he’s in like anybody else.” He emphasized that extensive preparation has gone into managing Saliba's fitness to reduce any risk of re-injury.
“He’s in a really good place,” Arteta continued. “He’s built the capacity that we needed, and now it’s about giving him minutes. A centre-back usually needs to be able to last the full 90, so that’s why we’ve focused on his preparation.”
Arsenal's recent triumph over Liverpool showcased the stellar performances of Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães, but Arteta acknowledged that Saliba’s return complicates his selection choices. Konsa can also play right-back, competing with Ben White and Jurriën Timber for that position.
Speaking of Timber, who avoided punishment for a shirt pull on Alexander Isak during the Liverpool match, Arteta responded to claims that officials might try to balance out decisions in future games. “I have a lot of clips about shirts, pulls, grabs. So I have a massive library that we can talk about,” he remarked, reiterating his previous stance on officiating.
Max Dowman is also in the running to feature against Slavia, despite serving a three-match domestic suspension for his red card against Fleetwood last week. He made history as the youngest player to compete in the Champions League for Arsenal at just 15 last year and could potentially break Cesc Fàbregas’s record for the youngest starter in the competition.
“That’s a chapter that is gone,” Arteta said of Dowman’s dismissal. “It’s a moment of learning for all of us, and we move on.” He added that Dowman remains engaged and positive, which is a valuable asset at just 16 years old.
