Arsenal Injury Update: William Saliba latest details, recovery timeline

Arsenal giving away a handsome two-goal lead and ruining their chances of clinching the English Premier League 2024-25 title isn’t the only thing “worrying” head coach Mikel Arteta. The side’s star French defender William Saliba’s injury is surely the other big factor concerning the Gunners.

It must have shocked many to see Saliba getting sidelined in the game against Aston Villa FC, as he hasn’t been sidelined for the entire season in this EPL, except for the game against Liverpool, which he missed for a red card suspension. Now it is no secret, having been openly stated that the player is injured. On that note, let’s have a look at the extent of the injury, the latest updates, the impact on the Arsenal squad, possible replacements, and the expected return date of the player.

William Saliba Injury Update

William Saliba is reportedly struggling with a hamstring issue. The 23-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during the game against Tottenham Hotspur, in which the side won 2-1. The player did play full minutes of the game despite succumbing to the blow.

At first, the situation looked to be a minor one, but now Mikel Arteta has spoken to the press, informing that they are “very worried’ about the player’s case. He also updated that a test will be carried out. He said, “We will have more tests on him and we will be more clear about it,”. While the test reports have still not been made public, from the words of the coach it can be assumed that the player might be dealing with a big blow.

Impact of William Saliba Injury on Arsenal Squad and Strategy

William Saliba has been a constant in the side’s defense in all the major tournaments the club played this season. The club played only two games without him in the EPL, and in both, they faced two goals each. The Gunners’ defense looks a lot leaky without the centre-back. With him playing, the team has an impressive 72% win rate, while without him the number drastically drops to 38%.

The stats are enough to analyze that missing Saliba would cost Arsenal a lot, especially with games against top teams like Girona FC, Manchester City, and Newcastle United next. Without Saliba the club cannot be that forceful with the attacking chances, as the side will need to protect their best zone: the defense even more.

Instead of playing the normal brand of attacking football Arteta prefers, the side might need to hold back the protect the back-line, and the midfield, as Saliba being the pivot at back will be missing, leading to an imbalance, just observed in the game against Aston Villa, or even when his back injury led Arsenal to slip-off from the race of an EPL title in EPL 2022-23.

Possible Replacements and Tactical Adjustments

Arsenal does have a lot of injuries to worry about, and not just Saliba. In the defense itself, the club has two right-backs injured and out. Ideally, Saliba’s replacement should be Jakub Kiwior, pairing up with Gabriel, and Timber starting as the right-back.

Seeing the performance against Aston Villa, Arteta should try to not risk Thomas Partey in the right, with Timber pairing with Gabriel, as missing Partey in the midfield creates a horrible situation for the Gunners, with little marking and key passes.

Mikel Arteta might stay with his usual 4-3-3 tactical formation, despite missing Saliba, provided he uses a CB to fill the spot. However, if he plans on not doing so, he can switch to the 3-4-3 formation he implied during 2020, seeing as the present long list of sidelined players.

William Saliba Return date

Test results are still not known, so the extent of William Saliba’s injury, and possible return date is still not known. However, seeing that the previous assumption of a minor blow changed with the coach’s worrying statement, we can speculate that the injury might be a serious one, and he might not return to action soon.

Also Read: AS Monaco vs Aston Villa Prediction, Lineups, Preview and Team News| UEFA Champions League, January 21, 2025

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