William Saliba has returned to first-team training at Arsenal, giving Mikel Arteta a welcome but difficult selection problem in defence. The France centre-back has missed the entire season so far with a back injury, which he first picked up at the World Cup, where he was withdrawn early in France’s semi-final loss to Spain.
The 25-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s top defenders in recent seasons. In his absence, summer signing Ezri Konsa has stepped in seamlessly and helped Arsenal return to the top of the table.
Since Konsa arrived from Aston Villa for £55m, he and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed a formidable partnership. Arsenal again have the league’s tightest defence, conceding just five goals in nine games.
Saliba’s road back
Saliba had managed his back problem throughout last season but was sent to see a specialist after the World Cup. It was decided that he did not need surgery, but he would require a lengthy rehabilitation. No timescale for his return was set.
The France international had been training individually at Arsenal’s base. He has now returned to full training ahead of their Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague and a busy festive schedule.
Saliba and Gabriel were a huge reason why Arsenal won the Premier League title last season, their first league title in 22 years. Their partnership was the bedrock of Arteta’s side, which conceded only 27 league goals. Saliba was then named in the PFA team of the year for the fourth consecutive time.
Arsenal have said they will be cautious with Saliba’s return. Even so, his return to fitness will force Arteta to make some tough choices in his backline.
Konsa’s excellent start
Arsenal’s defensive strength raised questions about whether they needed to spend £55m on the England international. However, Konsa has been one of the club’s best players this season, and they sit top of the Premier League.
Some have even suggested that Konsa and Gabriel have become the best partnership in world football. Arsenal already had seven senior defenders when they signed Konsa, including Saliba and Gabriel, one of the most established partnerships in the game.
In Saliba’s absence, Konsa has started seven of Arsenal’s nine Premier League matches. He joined just hours before their opening match against Coventry and came on against his former club Aston Villa on debut. Arteta has said the way Konsa has settled in has been “unbelievable”.
Konsa made 286 appearances for Villa after joining from Brentford in July 2019. He helped Villa win the Europa League in May, the club’s first European trophy since 1982. He is now a first-choice starter for England and started seven of the eight games they played at the World Cup. He started the quarter-final against Norway at right-back, which could prove a big clue to his Arsenal future.
The 29-year-old is an imposing figure, quick across the ground, and his aggression in challenges has impressed supporters. He scored the opener in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton and gave another commanding performance as the Gunners beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time in 14 years on Sunday.
What could Arteta do?
Arsenal host Hull on Saturday, before the next international break starts this month. That break will give Saliba time to build up his fitness before he becomes a regular option again.
When Saliba does return, however, Arteta will have to leave someone out. Ben White and Jurrien Timber have been Arsenal’s first-choice right-backs this season and are dependable at the top level. Both have had fitness issues in the past, but White has been available for all but one of Arsenal’s games this campaign.
Konsa could move to right-back, a position he also played in on his England debut. That would allow Saliba to slot in next to Gabriel in his regular spot. Arteta values physicality in his side, and moving the physically imposing Konsa to right-back would give opposing attackers a formidable challenge.
Saliba’s return also reduces the game time available for young centre-back Cristhian Mosquera. His low number of minutes so far this season will raise questions about his future, even though he has recovered from a hamstring injury.
Arsenal played 63 games in all competitions last season as they won the league and reached the Champions League final. With Arteta aiming to defend the title and achieve European success this time around, there will be plenty of matches for him to rotate his many options.