William Saliba is set to be out for up to five months after injuring his back in France’s defeat to Spain, and it is the kind of blow that immediately raises questions about Arsenal players heading into the 2025/26 season.
Arsenal have just come through a 59-match campaign across multiple competitions, and the concern now is not only the loss of one of their most important defenders, but the wider physical strain on a squad that was pushed hard over the course of the year. The comparison being made is with Liverpool, who won their first title for 30 years in 2020/21 before finishing 17 points and two places below Manchester City the following season.
A major absence at the wrong time
Saliba’s injury matters because he is not just another option in the squad. He is central to how Arsenal defend, and losing him for such a long period leaves Mikel Arteta with a problem before the season has properly begun.
There is no softening the timeline here. “Up to five months” is a significant spell for any player, but especially for a defender in a side that will again be expected to compete across the Premier League and the Champions League.
For Arsenal players, the issue is simple: the margin for error gets smaller when one of your most reliable performers is missing. If the back line is changed, the structure around it has to change too.
Why the Liverpool comparison matters
The warning sign comes from Liverpool’s experience in 2020/21. Winning a title does not guarantee smooth progress the following year, and the source of the problem is often physical rather than psychological. After one huge effort, the next campaign can expose any squad that has been stretched too far.
Arsenal’s 59-match workload makes that comparison relevant. The more a team is asked to do, the more likely it is that injuries, fatigue and small absences begin to add up.
That is why this Saliba setback feels bigger than one isolated injury. It affects the defensive core, but it also adds to the wider question of whether Arsenal players can absorb another long season without paying a price.
The next few months will show whether Arteta can manage the squad through the problem or whether this becomes the first major obstacle in a season that was always going to demand more from Arsenal players than simply repeating last year’s effort. One of the broader questions around squad depth is already being discussed in relation to Mikel Arteta Sends Eight Arsenal Players Out as Hincapie Arrives — Arsenal Eight Players Released, and Saliba’s absence only increases that scrutiny.
