Arsenal suffered yet another injury blow early on during their 1-0 away loss to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. Key centre-back William Saliba hobbled off after just five minutes.
With Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Christian Norgaard, and Ben White among some of the key names already missing – not to mention captain Martin Odegaard only being fit enough for a spot on the bench at Anfield – Mikel Arteta will be desperate to avoid losing another player for a prolonged period.
Injury expert Physio Scout has offered their verdict on Saliba, and the early signs are at least potentially promising.
Saliba May Have 'Lateral Ankle Sprain'
Arsenal's William Saliba receives medical attention after sustaining an injury
It was a frustrating afternoon for the Gunners away at Liverpool as Dominik Szoboszlai’s sublime free-kick was the only thing that separated what was otherwise a very close game. Arteta's men now sit three points behind the Reds in third place, also behind Chelsea, three games into the new Premier League campaign.
Last term, key injuries played a key part in derailing Arsenal's title hopes, with Saka, Havertz, and Gabriel all suffering bad hamstring tears in the second half of the season. These issues have not disappeared so far in 2025/26, with Saliba the latest to be sidelined with fitness issues.
Taking to their social media account on X, Physio Scout – who correctly called Rodri's ACL injury last September – explained the early prognosis on the French centre-back:
"William Saliba had to come off early in the first half of Arsenal vs. Liverpool after suffering a lower-leg injury. The video mechanism doesn’t point to anything major, and Arteta explained, 'He twisted his ankle during the warm-up.'
"If confirmed to be a lateral ankle sprain, it would add up as ankle sprains are often very painful initially, but can ease off quickly. His belief that he could continue suggests the pain initially settled enough for him to try playing on, but it flared up again within the first five minutes, forcing him off."
Expected Recovery Times:
Grade 1: 1-2 weeks
Grade 2: 3-4 weeks
Grade 3: 4-6+ weeks
They added: "(Under the assumption it's a lateral ankle sprain) Saliba has withdrawn himself from the French squad, but this doesn't necessarily mean it's 'bad'.
"Lateral ankle sprains are usually less serious than they appear, resulting in a relatively fast recovery (if grade 1). If unserious, we expect him back after the international break. However, this is under the assumption that it's a lateral ankle sprain. Hopefully that's the case."
Fortunately for Arsenal, there is now an international break, which will afford Saliba a little more time to recover. The Gunners are back in action on 13 September when they host Nottingham Forest. They then travel away to Athletic Club to begin their Champions League campaign, before returning to the Emirates with Manchester City visiting on 21 September.
No doubt, Arteta will be desperate for his key defender to be back in time for that top-of-the-table clash, if not sooner.