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Mikel Arteta sees having William Saliba, Gabriel, and Ezri Konsa all fit simultaneously as an advantage rather than a headache.
"How does Arteta solve his defensive dilemma?" was the question raised in BBC Sport analysis on Tuesday, following confirmation that Saliba has returned to training after recovering from a back problem sustained during France's 2026 World Cup semifinal against Spain back in July.
Konsa, who featured regularly throughout England's run to a third-place finish at the tournament, was signed in August with the understanding that Saliba would be sidelined for several months. He has firmly established himself in Arsenal's starting lineup and has delivered consistently strong performances.
Arteta addressed reporters on Tuesday, after Arsenal had touched down in Czechia ahead of their Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague. It appeared that Saliba is ready to feature as soon as the manager chooses to deploy him.
"He's in, and he's in like anybody else," Arteta said. "All the preparation has been carefully managed to monitor the loads and every step he needed to take to reduce that risk. Now he's in a really good place. He's built the capacity we required and now it's about getting him minutes.
"A center back typically needs to be able to play 90 minutes, and that's why all the preparation we've done has been about building him up." Saliba himself, Arteta noted, is "very desperate" to return and will receive the "right amount of minutes very soon."
However, for Saliba—not expected to suffer a setback given the specialist work invested in his rehabilitation—to reclaim his position, either Gabriel or Konsa will need to step aside.
Conflicting Saliba, Gabriel, Konsa Availability Is a 'Luxury'
Arteta describes having Saliba, Gabriel, and Konsa available at center back as a "luxury" that Arsenal have largely been without this season. "I wouldn't call it a problem," he said. "We can talk about problems that are very different to that one."
The Arsenal manager has long been vocal about the physical toll on his squad when competing across four club competitions—plus international breaks—throughout the season.
He is hopeful that having three top-quality center backs available will support squad rotation.
"The moment they are fit and available, we're going to have the opportunity to give players [rest] or to manage the players' workloads and handle the fixture congestion in a much better way than we've been able to do," Arteta explained.
Another factor to consider is that Konsa, even with Saliba partnering Gabriel at the back, could still earn a place in the Arsenal side at right back. That position has been problematic at times, with neither Jurriën Timber nor Ben White managing consistent injury-free runs in recent seasons.
"Ezri can play as a fullback," Arteta noted. "I think his primary position is center back. He can play right or left, and William is the same with the national team or here at Arsenal, and that's going to be something really positive."