Mikel Arteta explains William Saliba’s absence against Nottingham Forest despite return to training

Mikel Arteta has explained why William Saliba was absent from Arsenal’s matchday squad against Nottingham Forest on Saturday

William Saliba
Image credit: Getty Images

Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest came too soon for William Saliba, with the defender still recovering from an ankle injury.

The Frenchman withdrew from international duty during the break and only returned to training on Friday. Arteta confirmed that Saliba himself admitted he was not ready to feature at the Emirates.

“He trained yesterday and did the whole session, and he was OK,” Arteta said after the match. “I spoke to him afterwards and he said, ‘I think I need a few more days.’ The turnaround has been too quick for the extent of the injury. When a player says that, you don’t push it, and I think Mosquera was very, very good.”

In Saliba’s absence, summer signing Cristhian Mosquera stepped in and delivered a composed performance as the Gunners recorded their third clean sheet in four league games.

 

“You’ve just seen today and what he did at Anfield, very, very hard games,” Arteta added. “He’s going to push them. This kid wants it a lot, and he’s so willing to learn. He already has some great qualities that fit very well with any position we want to use him in, depending on the qualities of the other defenders. So, we’ll see.”

Arteta is hopeful Saliba will be available for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Athletic Club, but Mosquera’s emergence offers reassurance that Arsenal have greater depth at the back this season.

The 21-year-old Spaniard arrived from Valencia in a £13 million deal this summer as part of a recruitment drive designed to strengthen Arsenal’s squad across all competitions.

That depth was on display against Forest, with the Gunners easing to victory despite being without two of their most influential players in Saliba and Bukayo Saka.