William Saliba has been seen running on grass for the first time since the summer, and for Arsenal that counts as good news. The France defender moved from cycling to light running as his recovery from the injury he picked up in July continues, with a return in November the target, as long as his body responds the right way.
It has been a slow business. Saliba, 25, picked up the problem after France's World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. He avoided surgery, and has spent the weeks since on intensive daily physiotherapy and massage at Arsenal rather than on the pitch.
What Arteta said
Mikel Arteta has not tried to talk the situation up. "He is in rest mode at the moment," the Arsenal head coach said. "He had to do almost nothing, an aggravated injury, so it's going to take some time to heal." That is a long way from a date in the diary, and the coach was happy to leave it that way.
Saliba's own camp has been just as blunt. His entourage told L'Equipe that he knows he has to take his time, that he has suffered too much and that he wants to come back at 100 per cent. The background is that he leaned on painkillers during last season and the World Cup, and recovery after matches often took up to two days.
Life without him
Arsenal have coped. Ezri Konsa has been paired with Gabriel Magalhaes in recent Premier League games in Saliba's place, which at least gives Arteta a settled alternative. The next fixture mentioned is Leeds United on 10 October, and nobody is suggesting Saliba will be back for it.
It is a harder gap to fill than the numbers suggest. Saliba has 184 appearances for Arsenal, four consecutive PFA Team of the Year selections and two Ballon d'Or nominations to his name. Whoever stands in for him is stepping into a role he has made look easy. November is still some way off, and the sensible reading of the quotes above is that Arsenal would rather wait than gamble.
Injury context: William Saliba, 25, Arsenal and France. Injured in July after the World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain; no surgery. Now running on grass, target return November. Stats: 184 Arsenal appearances, four consecutive PFA Team of the Year selections, two Ballon d'Or nominations. Next mentioned fixture: Arsenal v Leeds United, 10 October 2026. Source reporting: Goal, citing Arteta and L'Equipe.
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