Arsenal fans can breathe a sigh of relief as positive news emerges regarding the recovery timeline of star defender William Saliba, who limped off the pitch in the early stages of the Gunners’ 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend. The 24-year-old French center-back suffered a sprained left ankle, forcing him to withdraw from France’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers during the international break. While concerns initially mounted about his absence for Arsenal, who are already trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by three points, an injury expert has provided an optimistic update on his return.
According to Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs, Saliba has a “huge chance” of being fit for Arsenal’s crucial Premier League clash against Manchester City later this month. This encouraging prognosis suggests that Saliba’s absence may be limited to just two matches: Arsenal’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on September 13 and their opening Champions League match against Athletic Bilbao on September 16.
Smith spoke to Metro about the nature of Saliba’s injury, describing it as relatively minor compared to more severe issues like a hamstring injury. “Everybody at Arsenal will be wiping their brow on that one because of his importance to the team,” Smith said. “It appeared innocuous. Not to say there aren’t challenges with a ligament sprain, but if it were something like a hamstring injury, it would be something they would have to be even more careful with. With this, they will be able to get that right quite quickly, I would have thought.”
Smith further explained that Arsenal’s medical team will likely manage the injury with protective measures, such as strapping the ankle, to ensure a swift recovery. “They will be able to protect it and strap it up if needed and be able to get back out there relatively quickly,” he added. “It didn’t appear to be a significant sprain; we would expect to see him back out there within two to three weeks.”
When pressed on the possibility of Saliba returning for the Nottingham Forest match, Smith noted that while it might be a tight timeline, the defender’s chances depend on his recovery progress. “That one might be really close, but they will be pushing him to try and get there,” he said. “It depends on how much swelling was there, how much pain he was in the day after. If swelling was minimal and pain was relatively innocuous, that will give him a huge chance.”
The French national team also confirmed Saliba’s unavailability for their upcoming training camp, with manager Didier Deschamps calling up Benjamin Pavard as a replacement after discussions with team doctor Franck Le Gall. The statement from the French Football Federation read: “William Saliba, who started for Arsenal against Liverpool on Sunday, was forced off in the fifth minute. He is suffering from a sprained left ankle.”
Saliba’s potential swift return is a massive boost for Arsenal, who rely heavily on his defensive solidity and composure at the heart of their backline. As the Gunners prepare for a critical stretch of matches in both the Premier League and Champions League, having their star defender back in contention for the Manchester City showdown could prove pivotal in their pursuit of silverware this season.