Arsenal will start their Premier League title defence without two key defenders. Mikel Arteta is not expected to have William Saliba or Jurrien Timber available for the first weeks or months of the campaign as both recover from injuries.
In Sunday's Community Shield against Manchester City, Arteta chose Christian Mosquera and Ben White in their place, and they proved capable understudies. He will hope to have his first-choice stars back sooner rather than later, with Arsenal's first Premier League outing coming when Coventry visit the Emirates on Friday.
William Saliba's back injury
Saliba, who played a key role in Arsenal's title charge last season, is set to miss large parts of their title defence. He carried a back injury for much of the previous campaign and was forced off after half an hour in the World Cup semi-final with what France coach Didier Deschamps described as 'unbearable' pain.
There were concerns he could need surgery, but Arsenal confirmed in July that the player had opted against going under the knife. Instead, he will undergo a lengthy rehabilitation at the club's training ground.
A statement released last month said: “Specialist reviews on William’s return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation. Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme. William’s rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.”
Potential return date: Winter 2026
Jurrien Timber's groin problem
Timber is continuing to recover from the groin injury that kept him sidelined for much of last season's run-in. The Dutchman missed most of the final two months of the season, returning only to come off the bench in the Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.
He was subsequently ruled out of the World Cup and underwent minor surgery in the summer. Arteta's most recent update stated he would be out for several more weeks.
“I cannot be very precise with that,” Arteta said, two weeks before Arsenal's Premier League curtain-raiser against Coventry. “Jurrien is progressing really well. He's on the pitch, he's doing quite a lot right now. But he's still weeks away. I cannot tell you much.”
Potential return date: September/October 2026
