Arsenal now make decision over William Saliba red card appeal ahead of Liverpool clash

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Arsenal star William Saliba was sent off against Bournemouth in controversial circumstances at the weekend.

Saliba saw his yellow card overturned to a straight red for bringing down Bournemouth striker Evanilson, which earned him a one-match ban for Arsenal’s upcoming game against Liverpool.

Some have claimed that the distance between Evanilson and the Arsenal goal meant that Saliba’s red card was harsh, and with Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo escaping punishment for a similar offence against Liverpool, many have called on Mikel Arteta to appeal Saliba’s ban.

Arteta admitted that the club will have to make a decision on Saliba independently of himself, and Arsenal have now come to a decision over whether to appeal the defender’s ban.

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Arsenal will not appeal William Saliba red card vs Bournemouth

Sky Sports have now revealed that Arsenal will not appeal against Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth.

This means that the centre-back will definitely be suspended for Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, in a huge blow for Arteta.

This is the first red card of Saliba’s Arsenal career, and Arteta will now have to come up with a solution to replace one of his most important players.

How can Arsenal replace William Saliba against Liverpool?

Defender Jurrien Timber has missed the last two games, and did not train ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk.

However, if the Dutchman is fit, he can slot straight in for Saliba, or move to right-back with Ben White returning to centre-back.

White returning to centre-back to partner Gabriel is one of the most likely options, but if Timber is not fit to return, then Jakub Kiwior or Oleksandr Zinchenko could come in, with Riccardo Calafiori moving central.

No solution is ideal given Saliba’s importance to the team, but Arsenal are better equipped to deal with his absence now than they were when he picked up a long-term injury two seasons ago.

Arsenal collapsed in the Premier League title race when Rob Holding tried to replace Saliba, but Arteta now has several quality options at his disposal across the back line.