Arsenal fans will have been thrilled by the sight of William Saliba walking out onto grass at the club’s London Colney training ground on Tuesday.
The centre-back has returned to full training after three and a half months on the sidelines, having been out of action with a back problem that required an extended period of rehabilitation rather than surgery.
In Saliba’s absence, £55million summer signing Ezri Konsa has been a more-than-capable deputy alongside Gabriel.
But Saliba has forged an impressive, years-long centre-back partnership with Gabriel that was crucial to Arsenal winning the Premier League title last season.
So, Arsenal fans will be keen to see Saliba in action as soon as possible, and could he take to the pitch tonight against Slavia Prague in the Champions League?
Back: William Saliba
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Will William Saliba play tonight?
Saliba took part in Tuesday’s session, before manager Mikel Arteta told a pre-match press conference that the defender “is in a really good place.”
The France defender joined his team-mates on the plane flying to Prague, so can be named in the matchday squad should Arteta deem him ready.
He added: “His evolution has been as expected, which is not always the case. He feels very comfortable. He played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week.
“He feels ready to go now, so whether we use him or not is a matter of what the team needs.”
Konsa has delivered a series of fine performances, and Arteta might prove reluctant to disrupt that partnership just yet.
Switching Konsa to right-back offers one option, given he occasionally played there for former club Aston Villa and England.
Arteta also has Jurrien Timber and Ben White as right-back options.
Asked whether having all three centre-backs available was a “problem”, Arteta laughed and remarked: “So far we haven’t had that luxury. I wouldn’t call it a problem.
“We are going to have the opportunity to … manage the congestion of the players in a much better way than we have actually done it.”
