Arsenal centre-back, William Saliba has been unavailable for Mikel Arteta since March after injuring his lower back in the Europa League game against Sporting.
No timeframe has been given by the club on when the Frenchman is expected back on the pitch, however now it finally appears we have an answer, with two games left of the Premier League season.
William Saliba is not expected to play for Arsenal again this season, however the centre-back doesn’t need surgery which will shorten his recovery time ahead of next season.
According to reports, William Saliba will be able to return to training at the end of June/beginning of July, meaning he’ll be able to take part in pre-season ahead of 2023/24.
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Losing the Frenchman was a big reason why Arsenal’s title charge faded away in recent weeks after their defensive record faltered in Saliba’s absence.
Chris Wheatley confirmed on his YouTube channel that Saliba would not be seen in an Arsenal shirt again this season.
“William Saliba, he’s out for the rest of the season, this is what was expected. He won’t require surgery on his back injury, which is good news for Arsenal. But these two games are going to come too soon for the defender currently on the treatment table.”
Arsenal have conceded 17 league goals in the eight league games since his injury at a rate of 2.1 per game, having only conceded 25 times in the 28 games with him in the side, a rate of 0.89 per game.
Saliba’s impact on the team has been emphasised during the period he’s been out which is why Mikel Arteta is so desperate for the club to tie the player down to a new long-term contract.
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