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Archive photo · 16 June 2026William Saliba Returns To Full Training As Arsenal Prepare For Slavia Prague And Newcastle
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Saliba back in full training after four months out with back injury. Return seen as boost to Arsenal defense and title-winning balance; Arteta gains options.
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Saliba back in training
William Saliba returned to full training at Arsenal after missing the entire campaign so far with a back injury following his early withdrawal in France's World Cup semi-final loss to Spain. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta now faces a defensive selection dilemma as Ezri Konsa has stepped in seamlessly and Arsenal have conceded just five goals in nine games.
BBC Sport said Saliba returned to full training before Arsenal's Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague and then a busy festive schedule looming. Saliba is travelling with the squad to Prague, with the next Premier League trip to Newcastle on 21 November also in view.
Arteta’s selection headache
Mikel Arteta must decide how to use Saliba alongside Gabriel Magalhaes after the partnership helped Arsenal keep the league's tightest defence in Saliba's absence. BBC Sport said Konsa has stepped in seamlessly to help Arsenal back to the top of the table, and it noted that since Konsa's arrival from Aston Villa for £55m, he and Gabriel Magalhaes struck up a formidable partnership.
Saliba trained with Arteta's squad before Wednesday's Champions League trip to Slavia Prague, and it described Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Liverpool as part of a defensive run that included four clean sheets in a row. Goal said Arteta could solve the dilemma by moving Konsa to the right-back position, a role Konsa is familiar with from his international duties with England.
What comes next
Arsenal said in July that Saliba would be on the sidelines for an “extended period” with a back injury, but it also said he would not require surgery, and the France international trained on Tuesday morning before Arsenal’s Champions League game against Slavia Prague. It was not yet confirmed whether Saliba would be named in the squad for the game in the Czech Republic, and it added that Arteta was set to speak to reporters later on Tuesday (6pm GMT).
Saliba will be firing on all cylinders when Premier League action resumes with a trip to Newcastle on 21 November, with 10 games to squeeze in between the international break and the end of the year. Mikel Arteta told reporters that Saliba is scheduled for another MRI next week to check on the “healing process” so it doesn’t sound as if he is quite ready for action.