Latest injury update on William Saliba ahead of Arsenal vs man City Community Shield

Arsenal will line up against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, yet they do so without centre‑back William Saliba, whose latest injury update casts doubt on his availability, while the rest of the World Cup‑returning stars are expected to start.

Saliba's World Cup injury saga

Saliba entered the tournament in North America already carrying a back problem, yet he still featured for France, missing only the dead‑rubber group game against Norway and playing 30 minutes in the semi‑final against Spain before being forced off.

BBC journalist Sami Mokbel explained, “What I was told during the World Cup, if William Saliba was to have surgery, it would have been four to five months out. Thankfully for Arsenal, they managed to avoid that length of time, but I think we’re still looking at a minimum of two to three months.”

His 2025/26 season statistics show 50 appearances, 48 of them starts, and a total of 4,254 minutes played for Arsenal.

Medical staff estimate a two‑ to three‑month lay‑off, meaning Saliba could miss the Carabao Cup third‑round and will certainly be unavailable for the Shield, with a possible return window ranging from mid‑September to mid‑October.

Arsenal's squad outlook for the Shield

Despite Saliba’s absence, England midfielders Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, together with Spanish World Cup winner Martin Zubimendi, are all set to travel, and Mikel Arteta confirmed, “Yeah they will be available, they trained today and will train tomorrow.”

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