Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed centre back William Saliba asked to miss Saturday’s win over Nottingham Forest as he nears a complete recovery from injury.
Saliba limped out of the defeat to Liverpool before the international break but was spotted back in training in the build-up to Saturday’s game, sparking hope he could be back sooner than expected, but he was nowhere to be seen against Forest.
Instead, Cristhian Mosquera lined up alongside Gabriel, providing a formidable defence as the Gunners breezed to a comfortable 3–0 victory which was marred by an injury blow to captain Martin Ødegaard.
After the game, Arteta revealed there are no fresh concerns about Saliba, whose continued absence was more of a precaution ahead of a tough run of fixtures.
“He trained [on Friday] and he did the whole session and he was OK,” Arteta explained. “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 so when a player says that, don’t push it. I think Mosquera was very, very good.”
Pressed on Mosquera is seen as legitimate competition for his preferred duo of Saliba and Gabriel, the Arsenal boss added: “You’ve just seen today and what he did in Anfield, very, very hard he’s going to push him.
“This kid wants it a lot and he’s so willing to learn. He’s got some great qualities that fit very well in any position that we want to use him in relation to the connections and the qualities of the other defenders.”
Arsenal begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday away to Athletic Club and host Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with Saliba expected to play a significant role in both fixtures.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Don’t Push It’—Mikel Arteta Offers Fresh William Saliba Injury Update After Nottingham Forest Absence.