Arsenal will commence their defence of the Premier League title without William Saliba as the influential central defender is sidelined with a back injury.
Playing a pivotal role in Arsenal's first Premier League success in over two decades by forging an impenetrable partnership alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, Saliba played in over 4,000 minutes in all competitions last term before heading to North America for the 2026 World Cup.
It was while representing France in the semi-finals of the tournament against Spain that Saliba aggravated a pre-existing back problem and he was forced to withdraw after just 30 minutes with Maxence Lacroix replacing him.
The 25-year-old, whose injury at the back end of the 2022/23 season coincided with Arsenal's title collapse, has been a vital cog in Mikel Arteta's side since moving to North London four years ago after three loan spells in France, and his layoff will be a significant blow.
We've taken a look at the earliest possible date Saliba could return to first-team action.
When is William Saliba expected to return from injury?
Importantly for Saliba, the total duration of his absence has been reduced after he decided against surgery on his back following a consultation with specialists.
If Saliba had gone under the knife, he could have been looking at five to six months on the sidelines. However, with surgery not required, Saliba has been following a managed rehabilitation programme to address the issue, which means the France international could be back far sooner than initially anticipated.
A potential return target date for Saliba is after the September/October international break.
As the international window has been extended to three weeks, it provides Saliba with a greater chance of being fit in time to face Leeds United as Daniel Farke's men are scheduled to visit the Emirates Stadium on 10th October.
While Saliba could return as early as October, the prospective arrival of Ezri Konsa means Arsenal will not rush the former AS Saint-Étienne back into action
