Arsenal have received a major boost as defender William Saliba has officially returned to full first-team training. The 25-year-old France international has missed the entirety of the campaign so far due to a back injury sustained during his country's World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. Saliba, who avoided surgery after consulting a specialist, completed individual rehabilitation before rejoining the squad ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash with Slavia Prague and the demanding festive period.
During Saliba's extended time on the sidelines, £55m summer arrival Ezri Konsa has stepped in seamlessly alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. Konsa, who signed from Aston Villa just hours before the opening match against Coventry, has started seven of Arsenal's nine Premier League fixtures. Manager Mikel Arteta hailed the 29-year-old's transition as "unbelievable," with the Gunners currently sitting top of the table boasting the division's tightest backline having conceded only five goals. The England defender has already produced significant moments, netting the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Everton and impressing in Arsenal's first victory at Anfield against Liverpool in 14 years.
Saliba's impending availability now leaves Arteta with key decisions to make across his backline. Saliba and Gabriel were central to Arsenal's first Premier League crown in 22 years last season, anchoring a unit that conceded just 27 league goals and resulting in Saliba's fourth straight PFA Team of the Year inclusion. Arteta could potentially shift the physically imposing Konsa to right-back, where the former Villa man started for England on his debut and in their World Cup quarter-final win over Norway. However, such a move would mean displacing dependable right-back options Ben White and Jurrien Timber, while also further limiting game time for young centre-back Cristhian Mosquera, who recently recovered from a hamstring injury.
Arsenal host Hull on Saturday prior to this month's international break, providing Saliba additional time to build up match fitness before fully reintegrating into the starting XI. Having navigated 63 matches across all competitions last term on their way to winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final, Arteta will depend heavily on his defensive depth as the Gunners aim to retain their domestic title and chase European silverware.