William Saliba has been left out of the Arsenal team to take on Brighton in the Premier League on Wednesday night, just days after scoring in the win over Chelsea
manager Mikel Arteta (L) celebrates the team's victory with Arsenal's French defender #02 William Saliba
Mikel Arteta has explained William Saliba's absence(Image: Getty Images)
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Mikel Arteta says that William Saliba was unavailable to face Brighton after picking up an ankle injury in Arsenal's win over Chelsea on the weekend. Saliba has been replaced by Cristhian Mosquera in the Gunners' starting XI on Wednesday night.
The centre-back scored his first goal of the season, in his 34th appearance, as Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday to re-establish their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. But he was a surprise absentee when Arsenal named their team at the Amex Stadium.
"He turned his ankle against Chelsea," Arteta said pre-match. "He managed to finish the game somehow, but he was too sore to play today.” The change is understood to be precautionary, with the knock not thought to be serious.
Arteta made two changes to the team which overcame Chelsea, replacing Saliba with Mosquera due to injury while swapping Leandro Trossard for Gabriel Martinelli out of preference. Meanwhile, Declan Rice was passed fit to start, despite having come off with a injury concern against Chelsea.
Arsenal are still in all four competitions and are in the middle of a busy period, with the FA Cup fifth round on the weekend before the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen coming next week. They also have the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City looming on March 22.
With the Gunners travelling to face Mansfield in the FA Cup on Saturday, it is possible that Saliba will be given the week off to rest and recuperate.
Cristhian Mosquera
William Saliba has been replaced by Cristhian Mosquera(Image: Getty Images)
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Arteta has spoken of the importance of rest and rotation. Asked about the fact that Rice and Martin Zubimendi had started 27 of their 29 league games alongside each other in midfield, he noted: “Yes, it’s always like this with any player – you have to understand which games are more fitted for them and other players as well.
“That’s what we have to do – understand how they’re feeling, because there are moments when you feel that it’s the right moment to go [out of the team], and others, when you say I’m in a great moment and I want to continue to play.”
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