Why isn’t William Saliba playing for Arsenal vs Brighton today in the Premier League?

Arsenal have made a fine start to their Premier League title defense, winning all four of their opening league games. Mikel Arteta’s team also beat Manchester City convincingly to win the Community Shield and has opened with victories in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

They’ve managed all that despite missing key defender William Saliba, who won’t be involved in Saturday’s trip to Brighton.

The center back played in six of France’s eight games at the 2026 World Cup over the summer despite dealing with a back issue that worsened during the tournament. As a result, Saliba has yet to make a single appearance this season as he continues his recovery.

When will Saliba be back for Arsenal?

Although the Frenchman hasn’t undergone surgery, Arteta confirmed the injury will keep him sidelined for a little while longer.

“We don’t really know the amount of weeks Wilo is going to be out because it’s about a healing process and everything is a bit different, we know we have to respect certain timings,” the Arsenal head coach told reporters this week.

“The progression has been really positive in the last few weeks, but we need to wait and see how that one reacts when we start to put some load into it.”

We probably shouldn’t expect to see Saliba anytime soon, which makes Arsenal’s summer signing of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa look even shrewder.

Konsa set to continue alongside Gabriel

Konsa has started the last two Premier League games in central defense and is expected to continue his partnership with Gabriel for the duration of Saliba’s absence.

Arteta will have a welcome selection headache once Saliba regains full fitness.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.