Saliba Sidelined: Three Bold Strategies Arsenal Must Deploy to Survive Lengthy Absence

William Saliba may be facing a "lengthy spell on the sidelines" due to a back injury that, if surgery becomes necessary, could reportedly keep the Arsenal defender out for up to five months.

France's World Cup semifinal against Spain hadn't even reached the half-hour mark when Saliba went down. The 25-year-old has since admitted he has been managing a back complaint since March, "gritting his teeth" to help Arsenal clinch the Premier League title and guide Les Bleus into the final stages of the World Cup.

In the end, even Saliba could no longer endure the pain.

Lying on the pitch, Saliba told center back partner Dayot Upamecano that his back had "given out," according to L'Équipe. The same French outlet revealed that, following months of carefully managed training loads and reliance on painkillers, surgery now appears to be the most likely course of action — a conclusion BBC Sport has also corroborated.

Should Saliba require an operation, he would likely be sidelined for four to five months, potentially keeping Arsenal without their most crucial defender until mid-December. Mikel Arteta faces some significant decisions ahead.

Trust the Squad

The first avenue to explore should be within the club itself. Arsenal have accumulated the fourth-highest net spend among English clubs over the last three years. However flexible the Premier League's financial regulations may seem for top-tier sides, reckless spending cannot continue — particularly with other positions on the squad still requiring attention.

Arteta already has a blueprint for managing without Saliba, who missed around a dozen matches last season due to ankle and back complaints. For much of that period, Cristhian Mosquera was called upon to step into the breach.

The energetic Spanish center back had an impressive first season in England. While pursuing an online university degree in interior design, the 22-year-old was simultaneously learning the nuances of how Arsenal's defensive unit operates. The strength of Saliba's partnership with Gabriel lies in their complementary qualities: the Brazilian is naturally more aggressive in his positioning than his French counterpart, who expertly covers the space left by his partner's forward runs.

Potential Partners for Gabriel Already at Arsenal

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Mosquera also tends to defend proactively, which would require a tactical adjustment from Gabriel. Piero Hincapié can also play centrally, but like his fellow South American, is left-footed, which restricts Arsenal's passing options from deep. Riccardo Calafiori also favors his left side, potentially pushing Arteta toward less conventional solutions.

Defensive midfielders Christian Nørgaard and Declan Rice both have some experience at center back, though deploying either there would be a drastic measure. Arguably the most natural fit would be Ben White, who spent much of his career as a center back before being shifted to right back to make room for Saliba at Arsenal. That said, White has his own fitness concerns, having sat out the World Cup with knee ligament damage that could affect his preseason availability.

If Arteta remains unconvinced by the options already at his disposal, attention will inevitably shift to the transfer market.

Short-Term Fixes

There are two broad strategies Arsenal could pursue this summer if they feel compelled to sign a Saliba replacement: bring in a short-term solution, or invest in a player capable of challenging for a starting berth for years to come.

Ezri Konsa clearly represents the former option. Aston Villa's versatile defender will turn 29 in the autumn and has been linked with a move to London given Saliba's uncertain fitness outlook. Equally capable at center back or in a wider defensive role, Konsa earned Thomas Tuchel's confidence and established himself as a regular starter throughout England's World Cup campaign.

Tasked with playing out from the back under Unai Emery, the former Brentford man is composed if unremarkable in possession. He is certainly not as dominant in aerial duels as Saliba. Free agent and six-time Premier League winner John Stones ticks both of those boxes.

Had this injury occurred earlier in Arteta's tenure at Arsenal, he would almost certainly have seriously considered signing a former Manchester City player. Pep Guardiola's one-time assistant briefly attempted to instill a winning culture at the Emirates by bringing in the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus. However, the Basque coach now seems to have concluded that signing players deemed surplus to requirements by a direct rival is rarely a sound strategy.

Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix has also been mentioned as a possible target — it was the 26-year-old who stepped in for Saliba (with limited conviction) in that semifinal against Spain. Alternatively, this enforced absence could push the Gunners to think more long-term.

Build for the Future

When Saliba returns to fitness, he will expect to reclaim his place in the starting lineup. An established professional is unlikely to relish a backup role. A younger player, however, might be more accepting of it.

Real Sociedad's 20-year-old Jon Martín has emerged as a name of interest. There is an almost amusing symmetry to how well the Basque defender fits the pattern of recent Arsenal signings, which have consistently involved either a center back, Real Sociedad, or someone named Martin — by that logic, this transfer would be the perfect trifecta.

The Spain U-21 international broke into his club's senior setup toward the end of the 2024–25 season before going on to start the majority of matches last campaign. The 6'2" center back is more effective in the air than on the ball, but possesses considerable upside and room to develop.

Castello Lukeba could make a strong case for being ready to start at a top club, having put together three consecutive seasons as a regular starter for RB Leipzig. The potential cost of signing the 23-year-old may give Arsenal pause, as could the price tag attached to Benfica's Antonio Silva.

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Arsenal's hard-fought title triumph last season was nearly undone by a mounting injury crisis. "If I had fed those injuries into a computer and asked what our chances were of winning the Premier League, it would have said 2%," Arteta admitted. It required creative thinking, significant investment and several players pushing through physical barriers to get over the line. As the manager made clear: "I wasn't going to settle for that."

The injury problems have resurfaced, and it remains to be seen how Arteta navigates them this time around. One thing, however, is certain: he won't accept second best.