Saliba faces two months out after back injury leaves Arsenal short for Premier League opener

William Saliba will miss Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Coventry City on Friday after sustaining a back injury while representing France at the 2026 World Cup, with the centre-back expected to be out for at least two months.

Initial fears were more severe, with concerns that Saliba might require surgery — a scenario that could have kept him sidelined for up to five months. Arsenal confirmed the injury did not warrant surgical intervention, though a significant absence remains.

Manager Mikel Arteta offered a cautious update on his defender’s condition. “William is in rest mode at the moment,” Arteta said. “For two weeks he had to do almost nothing, don’t aggravate the injury. It’s going to take some time to heal, we know that. As quick as we have more news we can inform.”

With Saliba unavailable, Cristhian Mosquera is the most likely candidate to step into the starting line-up. The centre-back featured throughout Arsenal’s pre-season and played in their Community Shield victory over Manchester City, giving Arteta confidence in his readiness. Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori are also options to partner Gabriel at the heart of defence should Mosquera be unavailable.