Arteta says Saliba is ready to return for Arsenal against Slavia Prague

Mikel Arteta believes William Saliba is ready to return to action for Arsenal on the eve of their match against Slavia Prague. The France defender, out with a back injury sustained at the World Cup, has resumed full training and travelled with Arsenal’s squad on Tuesday. His inclusion in the group does not guarantee he will play.

Arteta said Saliba played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match last week. “Either you are available or you are not. And today, he is available, like any other player,” the manager said. He also explained that the work completed during Saliba’s recovery had allowed the club to assess the demands and stages of his return in order to minimise risk. Saliba, he added, has built the required capacity, and the next step is to give him minutes. A centre-back needs to be able to play a full match, Arteta argued.

Whether to select him will therefore depend on what the team needs, Arteta said. He described the rehabilitation process and the player’s own assessment as very positive, adding that Saliba’s progress had followed the expected course. The manager acknowledged that the defender’s return could make his choices at the back more difficult, but presented the competition as a welcome strength rather than a problem.

Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães formed Arsenal’s central defence in Sunday’s victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Arteta praised their performance and admitted Saliba’s return could leave him with a selection headache. Konsa can also play at right-back, where Ben White and Jurriën Timber are competing for a place. Arsenal signed Konsa during the off-season to provide cover in central defence; he has made a strong start to the season alongside Gabriel.

Arteta also pushed back against suggestions that officials might try to balance things out in future after a shirt pull on Alexander Isak inside the penalty area against Liverpool went unpunished. Meanwhile, Max Dowman is in contention to face Slavia despite serving a three-match domestic suspension following his red card against Fleetwood last week. Twelve months ago, Dowman was the first 15-year-old to play in the Champions League against these opponents; he could also surpass Cesc Fàbregas as Arsenal’s youngest starter in the competition.