William Saliba Injury Update: Return Date & Expert Insight
Arsenal defender William Saliba has recently been at the center of fitness concerns after sustaining an injury that saw him pulled from both international duty with France and Arsenal’s match against Liverpool. Although his substitution just minutes into the Liverpool game initially raised fears of a serious issue, updates from injury experts and manager Mikel Arteta suggest a more optimistic outlook.
According to Physio Scout, an injury analyst familiar with Premier League cases, the mechanism of Saliba’s injury does not appear to indicate a major or long-term problem. They believe it could be a lateral ankle sprain, which—while painful initially—typically heals relatively quickly, especially if it’s a grade-1 sprain. In such cases, players often recover in one to two weeks, meaning a return shortly after the international break is quite plausible.
Saliba has had injury setbacks before, notably a hamstring injury that ruled him out of key matches during the 2022–23 season. This time, reports indicated discomfort even before Arsenal’s game at Anfield, suggesting the injury may have been building rather than being caused by a single incident. Arteta, speaking after the match, acknowledged that Saliba “wasn’t feeling right” and that the decision to substitute him early was precautionary.
During a press conference in May 2025, Arteta confirmed that Saliba was dealing with a hamstring issue, and while not classified as severe, it was enough to rule him out of the season’s final fixtures. At the time, he noted the club would “take no risks” with the player’s long-term health, a cautious approach that Arsenal has maintained throughout Saliba’s career.
More recently, in late August, Saliba was withdrawn from the France squad ahead of the international break, fueling concerns of a relapse. However, Arsenal sources suggested that this was also precautionary and that the club was hopeful of his return in time for the resumption of domestic football in September.
Looking at Arsenal’s schedule, the next match after the international break is crucial, and fans are eager to see whether Saliba will be fit to start. The club’s medical team is expected to assess him closely in training sessions leading up to the match. If he continues to progress without discomfort, it is likely he could return either for the first game back or shortly thereafter.
Overall, the consensus among medical experts and insiders is that Saliba’s injury is not long-term. A potential return date of early to mid‑September 2025 is seen as realistic, assuming there are no setbacks in his recovery.
Arsenal fans will be relieved to hear that the issue appears manageable and that one of their defensive cornerstones may be back in action soon. With crucial Premier League and Champions League fixtures on the horizon, Saliba’s timely return could play a key role in Arsenal’s ambitions this season.