SETTABLOID

There was a stage when William Saliba looked like he may never make a senior appearance for Arsenal. Having signed in the summer of 2019 – when Unai Emery was in charge – it was over three years later before he made a first appearance for the club.

Given that he cost over £25million, the genuine prospect of seeing him move on before playing for Arsenal would have been a tough one to stomach. Saliba arrived as one of the top young players in France and went on to cement himself as a star of the future.

Those equivalent to him in their status from Ligue 1 are Raphael Varane, Wesley Fofana, and now Leny Yoro. For one reason of the other, neither Varane or Fofana have recently been able to show their quality. Yoro is backed to do so at Manchester United. In the meantime Saliba has forged a pathway for himself.

Mikel Arteta has been handed three major injury concerns all without Arsenal even playing. The likes of Martin Odegaard, Ben White and Jurrien Timber are already absentees and have thus remained at London Colney over the October international break.

Kai Havertz and Thomas Partey were due to represent Germany and Ghana, respectively, though both have remained in England because of minor knocks. That double decision, while concerning, will arrive as a boost for Arteta if they can play against Bournemouth, though he has been handed a major worry involving Bukayo Saka.

Last month’s two-week domestic pause was when Odegaard picked up his injury and a repeat looks to have occurred with Saka subbed off holding his right hamstring in action for England. Though the issue only took place just over 24 hours ago, plenty of theories have emerged about the severity of the injury and his potential return date.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may face a selection headache after October’s international break, with several first-team stars potentially unavailable for the club’s return to Premier League action.

As the Gunners enjoy a two-week hiatus, many of their key players are on international duty, but early reports suggest that injuries could pose a major problem for the squad.

On Thursday, Bukayo Saka suffered a possible injury during England’s 2-1 defeat to Greece in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley Stadium. England’s interim manager, Lee Carsley, confirmed that Saka would require further tests before determining the extent of his injury.

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta look set for a nervy wait on Bukayo Saka after he looked to suffer a hamstring injury representing England. The 23-year-old was replaced by Noni Madueke just after Greece scored the game’s opening goal with fears surrounding Emirates Stadium heightened as a result.

The Gunners have already lost Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Ben White to injury in recent weeks and now Saka could join that list. Because of the fitness issues in the squad, not many stars have gone away on international duty with Kai Havertz and Thomas Partey among those remaining at London Colney.

Bukayo Saka coming off against Greece for England on Thursday evening was a sight that no one wanted to see, well perhaps besides Arsenal’s title rivals. The Gunners have a very difficult run of games coming up with trips to Bournemouth, Newcastle, Inter Milan and Chelsea to come while also hosting Liverpool in just over a fortnight.

Mikel Arteta has been without Saka in the past and deputised well, winning all three league games he missed last season. However, there are, after some astute recruitment and further development, more options to choose from this season.

Gabriel Martinelli was the player who stepped up, from the bench, against Manchester City when Saka was unavailable for the title clash to score the winner. Thankfully, recently, Martinelli has again found his form, scoring against Leicester and Southampton to see a weight lift from his shoulders.

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori was in international action on Thursday night as he faced off against Gunners teammate Leandro Trossard.

The Arsenal summer signing lined up for Italy against Belgium in a Nations League encounter at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

Calafiori’s Italy dominated in the first half as Andrea Cambiaso opened the scoring within the first minute and Mateo Retegui added a second on 24 minutes.

However, the Azzurri then went a man down in the 40th minute as Lorenzo Pellegrini was sent off for a studs-up tackle on Belgium defender Arthur Theate.

Mikel Arteta has been dealt a potentially huge injury blow ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Bournemouth. The Gunners will lock horns with Andoni Iraola’s side at the Vitality Stadium after the international break as the Premier League title race builds a head of steam.

Arsenal head into the clash following a dramatic 3-1 win over Southampton, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka finding the net after Cameron Archer fired the Saints ahead. As for the Cherries, they’ll be determined to return to winning ways after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Leicester City.

While Arteta will be eager to leapfrog Liverpool and claim top spot, the Spaniard could be without some big names.

The international break is both a time to reflect for clubs like Arsenal but also to look forward. Not only in yearning for the next week to speed around the corner and return domestic football to our screens but theorise about the longer term.

What Arsenal might look like next season with the changes expected in the market, in the squad and from the youth academy has reached a peak.

Not only for what the current season might culminate in but the business that is being looked toward to set up the next phase of this infamous project spearheaded by Mikel Arteta. With that in mind, we take a look at what the Arsenal team might look like come the start of the next season and which familiar and new faces are still part of the team.

As has been the case with the youth investment of Arteta’s project, the back line remains consistent and David Raya’s first full season as a permanent player is sure to land him yet more plaudits. The interesting position in the side however could be at right-back with an all-out battle between Ben White and Jurrien Timber having already begun to materialise.

Arsenal star Leandro Trossard made a bold statement with his match-saving performance against Italy in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday. The Red Devils found themselves trailing early when Juventus winger Andrea Cambiaso scored in the opening minute, and Atalanta’s in-form striker Mateo Retegui doubled Italy’s lead in the 24th minute.

However, the momentum shifted in Belgium’s favour when Lorenzo Pellegrini was sent off in the 38th minute, offering a lifeline to the visitors. Belgium seized the opportunity and began to dominate the match. Just before halftime, Maxim De Cuyper reduced the deficit, with Trossard delivering a deft touch to set up the Club Brugge full-back to finish off a well-executed set-piece.

Matteo Guendouzi has previously suggested that William Saliba’s true footballing passion lies with a club other than Arsenal.

Saliba rose through the ranks at St Etienne before making his first team debut for the Ligue 1 side in 2018. However, Arsenal were quick to spot the 23-year-old’s potential, securing him for the Emirates Stadium in a £27million deal the following year.

But Saliba’s transition to north London wasn’t smooth – he was loaned back to St Etienne for the 2019/20 season, then to Nice the next season.

He spent the 2021/22 season with Marseille, before being recalled to Arsenal where he has since found his footing. Under Mikel Arteta, the tough-tackling centre-half has made 92 appearances across all competitions and has been a key figure in their Premier League title challenges in recent seasons.