Mikel Arteta believes William Saliba is ready to make his first Arsenal appearance of the season after the defender played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match last week. Saliba travelled with the squad to face Slavia Prague on Tuesday, but whether he will feature remains uncertain after his lengthy spell out.
The France international began individual training last month as he recovered from a back injury sustained at the World Cup. He has since returned to full training. Arteta said the club had carefully managed his workload and preparation to reduce the risk of a setback, adding that Saliba was now in a good place and had built the required capacity.
Arteta noted that centre-backs are generally expected to be able to play a full match, making the preparation for Saliba’s return particularly important. His availability could also create a selection dilemma after Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães impressed in Arsenal’s win over Liverpool at Anfield. Konsa can also play at right-back, where Ben White and Jurriën Timber are options.
Arteta also discussed Max Dowman, who is available for the Slavia match while serving a three-game domestic suspension following his dismissal against Fleetwood. The teenager could become Arsenal’s youngest player to start in the Champions League, surpassing Cesc Fàbregas’s record. Arteta described the incident as a learning experience and said Dowman had remained positive and engaged with the team.
Sources: The Guardian Sport.