Key Defender Set to Miss FA Cup Tie as Fresh Concern Emerges

William Saliba will miss Arsenal’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Mansfield Town on Saturday, with the French defender still struggling with the ankle injury that kept him out of our midweek victory over Brighton.

The 24-year-old picked up the problem during our 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend, where he opened the scoring with a brilliant header before managing the injury for the remainder of the match. Despite playing the full 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge, Saliba was clearly uncomfortable by the final whistle.

Race Against Time for Champions League

What’s more concerning for Arsenal is the timing of this setback. We face Bayer Leverkusen in Germany on Wednesday night for the first leg of our Champions League last-16 tie, and Saliba is now in a race against the clock to prove his fitness for that crucial European encounter.

Speaking ahead of the Mansfield fixture, Mikel Arteta confirmed that this ankle problem is unrelated to the injury that troubled Saliba earlier this season. “No, it’s the other one,” Arteta told the Evening Standard.

“We thought the same straight after the game because he wasn’t comfortable to finish the game. After straightaway he didn’t have a good feeling so let’s see if he recovers quickly.”

When asked directly about Saliba’s availability for Saturday’s FA Cup tie, Arteta was blunt: “I doubt it.”

Mosquera Steps Up Again

Cristhian Mosquera filled the void admirably alongside Gabriel against Brighton, and the young defender looks set for another opportunity at Field Mill. While Saliba might have been rested anyway for the League One opposition, his absence removes a key option from Arteta’s defensive arsenal during this relentless fixture period.

This marks the sixth Premier League match Saliba has missed this season for various reasons, highlighting just how crucial his fitness is to our defensive stability. The defender previously suffered an ankle twist in the warm-up against Liverpool at Anfield back in August, forcing him off after just five minutes.

“It can do, especially if there is a player who is carrying some injury. This can affect him in the wrong way, especially with certain muscles. Hopefully we’re going to have the ones we need fit and available.”

Arteta also revealed that Mansfield’s pitch conditions could influence his team selection, particularly for players carrying knocks.

With the Champions League knockout stages beckoning and our Premier League title charge gathering momentum, getting Saliba back to full fitness quickly has become a top priority. Can our defensive rock recover in time for Wednesday’s European showdown?