Saliba's Ankle Injury Threatens to Sideline Arsenal Star for Key Fixtures
Arsenal have picked up where they finished last campaign, with Mikel Arteta once more compelled to navigate a series of injury problems at the beginning of 2025–26.
Liverpool cruised to their second Premier League championship previously as the Gunners struggled with player availability issues, but significant efforts have been made during the summer to better equip Arteta for the unavoidable setbacks that come with an extremely demanding fixture list.
The Premier League's perennial runners-up traveled to Anfield ahead of the international window missing Bukayo Saka and with Martin Ødegaard only healthy enough for a substitute role. Arsenal supporters were again lamenting their misfortune within moments of the early-season benchmark match, as key defender William Saliba was substituted due to an ankle problem.
New signing Cristhian Mosquera stepped up admirably during a cautious encounter with minimal scoring opportunities, preventing Hugo Ekitiké from extending his strong beginning to his Merseyside career.
Mosquera's display will calm concerns about a defensive breakdown without Saliba, similar to what occurred at the end of 2022–23, and the 21-year-old is expected to feature regularly in the coming weeks.
Below are the matches Saliba is likely to miss due to his ankle problem.
The Games William Saliba Could Miss With Ankle Injury
Recent reports indicate Arsenal may be without Saliba for approximately one month after he pulled out of the France squad for their forthcoming World Cup qualifying matches.
Should this prove accurate, the Gunners will need to navigate a busy September without one of their key players, with Arteta's team scheduled for five matches before the month concludes.
Arsenal's fixture list will intensify with the Champions League campaign beginning. The Gunners, who reached the semi-finals last season, start their league phase with an away match against Athletic Club next Tuesday. Prior to that encounter, they return to Premier League duty hosting Nottingham Forest in the Saturday early kick-off.
Saliba has generally handled Erling Haaland well in their previous encounters, but he's expected to miss their upcoming clash on September 21, when Manchester City visits the Emirates.
The French defender likely wouldn't have featured in Arsenal's Carabao Cup third-round match at Port Vale, though Arteta has surprisingly relied on some of his top players in comparable fixtures before.
The Gunners have suffered defeats on their last three trips to St James' Park, and are set to be without their No. 2 when they travel north to Tyneside on September's final Sunday. Newcastle United may no longer have Alexander Isak available, but two fresh signings, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, are hoping to make an immediate impact.
Should Saliba remain sidelined until the October international window (four weeks out), he will also miss their second league phase match against Olympiacos on October 1, plus West Ham United's visit three days afterward. He should certainly return to action when Arsenal face Fulham at Craven Cottage on October 18.