Saliba on the brink of return as Arsenal pencil in Everton clash for comeback

William Saliba is closing in on a return to Arsenal after a back injury sustained during the World Cup kept him out of the club’s opening weeks of the season, with sources cited by TEAMtalk suggesting the France international could be available as soon as late October.

Saliba was substituted during France’s semi-final against Spain after collapsing on the pitch, and subsequent specialist reviews confirmed a back injury requiring a period of rehabilitation. Arsenal released a statement confirming the diagnosis on his return to London, adding that surgery was considered but ultimately not recommended, with the defender instead placed on a managed recovery programme.

TEAMtalk report that Saliba is now “on the brink of a return”, with sources indicating he could potentially feature against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena. However, the report adds that Arsenal are taking no risks with their star defender, instead targeting either the home Premier League fixture against Everton on October 24 or the Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood on October 27 as more realistic comeback dates.

The timing is significant for manager Mikel Arteta, who has been managing a growing injury list during the international break. Ezri Konsa, drafted in from Aston Villa as Saliba’s replacement, picked up a knock during the break and missed England’s fixture against the Czech Republic. Kai Havertz sustained an injury against the Netherlands, Martin Odegaard received a heavy challenge from Bernardo Silva, and Christos Tzolis has withdrawn from Greece duty.

Ben White was also unavailable for England, while Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera are both carrying knocks, leaving Arteta with a significant fitness puzzle to solve ahead of Arsenal’s return to Premier League action against Leeds United.

Despite the mounting concerns, Arsenal have made a strong start to the campaign, losing just once across all competitions so far. Saliba’s return, whenever it comes, will be a considerable boost to a defence that has otherwise held firm in his absence.