Arsenal have received a welcome boost over William Saliba after Zinedine Zidane named his second France squad without the defender.
Zidane, the former Real Madrid head coach, is preparing to take charge of Les Bleus for only the fifth time after replacing Didier Deschamps, who stood down following the 2026 World Cup in North America earlier this summer.
Saliba's recovery and recent form
Saliba was absent from Zidane's first France squad as he was still recovering from a back injury sustained while playing for the national team in the World Cup semi-final against eventual winners Spain.
The 25-year-old has since resumed full fitness. He played 45 minutes for the Gunners in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week before travelling with the squad to the Czech Republic for the 2-1 win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
However, Saliba has not been selected by Zidane for France duty this month, and he has not played a single minute for club or country this season.
Arteta's reaction and what's next
The news will be welcomed by Mikel Arteta, as Saliba should benefit from more time in training, though the Frenchman will miss out on some valuable minutes to build up his match sharpness.
“We’ve been in very close contact,” Arteta said on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Hull. “They’re announcing [their squad] at 5pm this evening.
“They have all the information, now it’s about them, about Zinedine in this case to make the call. We will accept whatever it is.”
After the international break, Arsenal face Newcastle at St James’ Park, with home games to follow against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
