Arsenal will begin their Premier League title defence without the services of two key defenders.
Mikel Arteta is not expected to have either of William Saliba or Jurrien Timber at his disposal for the first weeks - or even months - of the campaign as both recover from injuries.
Facing Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, he plumped for Christian Mosquera and Ben White in their place and they proved capable understudies.
He will hope, however, to have his first-choice stars back sooner rather than later, with a first Premier League outing of the season coming when Coventry visit the Emirates on Friday.
With that said, here is all the latest Arsenal injury news and potential return dates...
William Saliba
After playing a key role in Arsenal’s title charge last season, William Saliba is set to miss large swathes of their title defence.
He was carrying a back injury for much of the previous campaign and finally succumbed to the pain after starting for France in the World Cup semi-final, where he was forced off after just half an hour with what Didier Deschamps later described as ‘unbearable’ pain.
There were concerns the player could be forced to undergo surgery, but Arsenal confirmed in July that the player had opted against going under the knife.
Instead, he will go through a lengthy period of rehabilitation at the club’s training ground.
A statement released last month read: “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
Jurrien Timber is continuing to recover from the groin injury which kept him sidelined for much of last season’s run-in.
The Dutchman missed most of the final two months of the season, returning 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 on the player’s condition 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
