Arsenal fans, brace yourselves! News broke that William Saliba was sidelined due to an injury, causing him to miss the crucial match against Chelsea. This unexpected turn of events has left many wondering about his availability for the upcoming Brentford game. Let's dive into the details.
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal boss, shared an update on Saliba's fitness after the defender's absence from the 1-1 draw against Chelsea. Saliba's absence was noticeable, and the club revealed he'd picked up an injury during training. Arteta explained, "Yesterday in training he was uncomfortable, so we need to explore a little bit more what happened. I don't think it's something major, but enough not to be involved in the game."
Following the exciting draw in London, Arteta offered further insights into Saliba's condition. This game marked only the second time in the past three years, three months, and 25 days that Arteta has been without either Saliba or Gabriel Magalhaes, who is also nursing an injury, in a Premier League match. Arteta admitted, "It's been a headache because obviously we have to have a lot of options and changes in the last few months for different reasons. That one is, as you said, with those numbers that I didn't know, very unexpected, and it happened yesterday."
But here's where it gets controversial... Arteta highlighted the team's resilience, stating, "But the beauty of it is that you have players so willing to play, so willing to connect with each other. We will build a relationship even better. So today was a great learning match for all of us and as well give you the assurance that whoever is there is going to perform."
When asked about Saliba's potential return, Arteta responded, "I don't know. I think he's got another test tomorrow. We'll need to see the extent of that feeling, that sensation that he had. And we'll know more with Gabi still more weeks to go."
Despite the disappointment of not securing a win against ten men in the London derby, Arteta praised his players for their efforts over the past week, which included victories over Tottenham and Bayern Munich. The manager noted, "It's been a big week, starting with the derby. How emotional and the necessity and the intention we have to win it. Then to play Bayern Munich three days later. We lost players in those games."
And this is the part most people miss... Arteta further explained the challenges, saying, "Today, for example, we had to play [back four] that we never played before in a really difficult match. The captain is still not here. The nine is still not here. Kai [Havertz] is still not here. We lost Leo [Trossard] in midweek as well. But the team had to react to that."
Arteta concluded, "I think overall it's been a really positive week because the difficulty was immense. But I have this [feeling] that today we should have and we could have won the game and we haven't. That's a learning point for me."
What do you think, Arsenal faithful? Do you agree with Arteta's assessment of the team's performance despite the injuries? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
