Arsenal was devastated after William Saliba was sidelined for three to four weeks, according to a French report. The centre-back was forced off the pitch just minutes after the Gunners’ defeat to Liverpool. Saliba stepped in with ankle issues before retreating from his international obligations with France.
The 24-year-old could be absent for a month as Arsenal returns to his winning approach and Champions League action is about to resume after an international break. A statement from the French national troops was confirmed earlier this week.
“He cannot respect the call for the first training camp of the season. He is suffering from a sprain in his left ankle. After a discussion with French team doctor Frank Le Gard, Didier Deschamps confirmed William Saliba’s unavailability.
According to L’Equipe, Saliba is faced with missing equipment in response to a collision with Nottingham Forest, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester City and the Carabao Cup with Portvale.
If the Arsenal defender endures the worst-case scenario of diagnosis, he will also be ruled out for his encounter with Newcastle and Olympiacos, West Ham.
Summer Acquisition 21-year-old Christian Mosquera emerged from the bench of alternatives to take Saliba’s spot against Liverpool.
For the latest broken stories and headlines, sign up for the Daily Express Transfer Newsletter.
The Spanish defender was brought in by Valencia for £13 million. Mikel Arteta secured additional defensive cover in the transfer deadline through the acquisition of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Lebakusen.
The 23-year-old will be joining on loan, with the North London Club retaining the option to make the deal permanent next summer.
Arteta expressed his gratitude for being able to use Mosquera after Saliba was injured during a warm-up at Anfield. Saliba initially thought he could continue playing.
“He came in and believed he could continue playing, but unfortunately he couldn’t deal with the first two actions and he had to kick him out,” Arteta explained.
“But I’m grateful that we have the first Mosquera we’ve put in in the Premier League. His debut (sic: Mosquera also came out of the bench vs. Leeds). I think he’s really good because we didn’t expect that at Anfield.”
