William Saliba has returned to full training with Arsenal, raising the prospect of a welcome selection headache for Mikel Arteta as he prepares to bring the defender back into his backline.
The France international has missed the entire season so far with a back injury, which forced his early withdrawal from France’s World Cup semi-final loss to Spain. The 25-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s top defenders in recent seasons, but Ezri Konsa has stepped in seamlessly in his absence and helped Arsenal return to the top of the table.
Konsa’s excellent start
Arsenal signed Konsa from Aston Villa for £55m over the summer, and the England international has formed a formidable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes. Arsenal again boast the league’s tightest defence, conceding just five goals in nine games.
Such was Arsenal’s strength at the back that some questioned whether the club needed to sign Konsa at all. He has since been one of the club’s best players, starting seven of their nine Premier League matches. He joined just hours before the opening game against Coventry and came on against his former club Aston Villa on debut.
Arteta has described the way Konsa has settled in at the club as “unbelievable”. The defender made 286 appearances for Villa after joining from Brentford in July 2019, and he helped them win the Europa League in May, the club’s first European trophy since 1982. He started seven of the eight games England played at the World Cup, and he began the quarter-final against Norway at right-back. Some have even suggested that Konsa and Gabriel have become the best partnership in world football.
Saliba’s road back
Saliba had been managing his back problem throughout last season before he was sent to see a specialist after the World Cup. It was decided that he did not need surgery, but he would require a lengthy rehabilitation. No timescale for his return was set.
He had been training individually at Arsenal’s base but has now rejoined the full squad ahead of their Champions League meeting with Slavia Prague and a busy festive schedule. Arsenal have stressed that they will be cautious with his return. Arsenal host Hull on Saturday, and the next international break this month will give Saliba more time to build his fitness before he becomes a regular option again.
Saliba and Gabriel were a huge reason why the Gunners won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years last season. Their partnership formed the bedrock of Arteta’s side, which conceded only 27 league goals, and Saliba was named in the PFA team of the year for the fourth consecutive time.
Arteta’s tough choices
When Saliba returns, Arteta will have to disappoint someone. Ben White and Jurrien Timber have been Arsenal’s first-choice right-backs this season and are dependable at the highest level. White has been available for all but one of Arsenal’s games this campaign, although both have had fitness issues in the past.
One option is to move Konsa to right-back, a position he also played when making his England debut. That would allow Saliba to slot in alongside Gabriel in his usual spot. Arteta values physicality in his side, and Konsa’s imposing presence would give opposing attackers a formidable challenge on that flank.
Saliba’s return also reduces the minutes available to young centre-back Cristhian Mosquera. His limited game time so far this season raises questions about his future, even though he has recovered from a hamstring injury. With Arsenal having played 63 games in all competitions last season, including a Champions League final, and Arteta aiming to defend the title and go deep in Europe again, there will be plenty of matches for him to rotate his options.