Arteta: Arsenal will take new team photo including Saliba

Arteta Confirms New Arsenal Team Photo Includes Key Defender Saliba Amid Injury Recovery

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will take a new team photograph including William Saliba after the defender’s surprise absence from the one published this week.

Supporters were puzzled by Saliba’s exclusion from the previously released 2026/27 squad photo, as the defender announced he could not attend due to a medical commitment.

Saliva is yet to feature this season because of a back injury, yet the 25‑year‑old remains a mainstay for Arsenal, having logged 184 senior appearances, which intensified curiosity about his unexpected sidelining.

“What happened was that we have tried to do that picture three times already and we had to cancel it last minute for different reasons,” explained Arteta ahead of Arsenal’s away trip to Nottingham Forest, live on Sky Sports on Sunday.

“There were commercial obligations and travel needs involved, so we decided to arrange the shoot.”

“We will capture everyone as a whole family,” Arteta added.

“We hope to bring them all together at some point in the future and will announce that when possible.”

“Yes, we plan to revisit the image,” Arteta confirmed, insisting Saliba was “completely fine” regarding the circumstances.

He continued, “It wasn’t his responsibility, but Willy is usually upbeat. He feels supported by the team and has even laughed off some banter from his teammates. He’s doing well.”

Saliba returned to training sessions on grass earlier this month, and Arteta reported that his condition is improving, with a scan slated for next week as he approaches potential reinstatement.

“Next week we’ll undergo another MRI to monitor his healing progress.”

“Every sign so far has been extremely positive, and having him back would be welcome.”

Source link