William Saliba did not feature in Arsenal’s open-training session ahead of facing Kairat Almaty.
It was almost mythical to see William Saliba have a bad performance, as the Frenchman was far from his best when Manchester United visited the Emirates.
The Gunners will be eager to put the 3-2 defeat behind them on Wednesday night, as Kairat travel from Kazakhstan for the last league phase match of the 2025/26 Champions League campaign.
Which players would you like to see rotated against Kairat?
As Arsenal will finish in the top two of the league phase and Kairat will be eliminated, the game is one of lesser importance, which is why it’s expected that Saliba won’t feature.
That being said, when Saliba and three others missed Arsenal training, worry set in about the centre-back’s fitness.
In Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference, the Arsenal manager confirmed that Saliba did not train with his teammates because he’s not going to feature against Kairat due to a niggle.
“Those players are out,” Arteta said, with the same applying to Jurrien Timber.
“They have some niggles and it is a good opportunity to get them in the best possible condition for the weekend.”
Arsenal squad depth gives William Saliba an advantage
Saliba’s life at Arsenal was made so much easier in the summer when Arteta recruited two new defenders.
Imagine this: You can sign one of Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba to a lifetime Arsenal contract… Who are you picking?
Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie’s arrivals helped to balance the workload, allowing firm starters such as Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes to rotate more often than in the past.
It’s a blessing, as the schedule is even more gruelling now, but Arsenal can rest knowing that their defensive quality doesn’t drop when changes are made.
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