William Saliba faces a potentially significant absence after withdrawing from the France squad because of an ankle problem. He had been named in the international group for this month’s fixtures but pulled out soon after discussions with the national team doctor. A statement diagnosed Saliba with a “sprained left ankle”.

According to L’Équipe, the view inside the France camp is that Saliba will not be available until after the October international break, a layoff that could last as much as four weeks for Arsenal. Such a period on the sidelines would come at a difficult time for Arteta’s side, who have a demanding run of fixtures ahead.

In the Premier League the club host Nottingham Forest next weekend and then Manchester City the following week. There is also a trip to Newcastle United and a home match against West Ham United before club football pauses again. Arsenal also appear set to begin their Champions League group phase without Saliba, with Athletic Club and Olympiacos listed among early opponents.

A Carabao Cup third-round tie with Port Vale is also scheduled but Saliba was always likely to be rested for that match. At centre back the short-term options are clear. Cristhian Mosquera replaced Saliba against Liverpool and is a contender to do so again while Deadline Day signing Piero Hincapié may have moved up the pecking order after his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

Riccardo Calafiori, who has started the season at left back but can operate centrally, offers further cover, and Myles Lewis-Skelly is ready to return on the left if needed. The club will manage the situation with those options available while monitoring Saliba’s recovery and the timeline set out by medical staff.

Arsenal have moved to end talk of Leandro Trossard leaving for Beşiktaş, with the club refusing to allow a transfer abroad. The reported interest from Türkiye — including a rumoured €22 million (£19.1 million, $25.7 million) offer — has been dismissed internally, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that any move has “no chance of happening now.”

Trossard joined Arsenal from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2023, a window in which the club were linked with Mykhailo Mudryk before Chelsea completed his signing and Arsenal turned to Trossard. His contract runs until 2027 and the new terms do not include an extension, but the club have nonetheless opted to keep him in north London.

Since his arrival Trossard, 30, has been used intermittently in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI. In the Premier League he has made 93 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 21 goals and supplying 18 assists. He has also featured 23 times in the Champions League, producing nine goal contributions. Those numbers underline the value of a player who offers versatility and the ability to play with both feet.

Trossard does not possess the same straight-line pace as Gabriel Martinelli, and he has not established himself as an automatic starter while competing for minutes with Martinelli. The addition of Eberechi Eze has increased competition for attacking places, leaving Trossard to contest for opportunities within the squad.

Arsenal’s decision to turn down interest from Türkiye suggests the club believe Trossard remains a useful option, whether as a starter or a rotation figure. Beşiktaş had also been linked with Manchester United wantaway winger Jadon Sancho, though the Englishman chose a loan move to Aston Villa instead.

Arsenal head into the new term missing one of their most influential players after Bukayo Saka picked up a hamstring problem in the second match of the Premier League season.

The injury occurred during Arsenal’s 5–0 win over Leeds United and manager Mikel Arteta has warned the winger faces several weeks on the sidelines. The Gunners struggled for cutting edge without Saka and drew a blank in their recent defeat to title rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

On Saka’s condition Arteta said: “Bukayo is doing better, but he will be out for a few weeks, unfortunately.

“No surgery, it’s not as bad as the previous one. Very unfortunate to pick it up because it’s on the other side. It’s an action that requires full power from him. Then, he clashed with the opponent; he needed to change pace again, and he felt something. So he will be out for a couple of weeks.”

Saka’s latest setback follows a run of hamstring problems last season. He first suffered an issue in October 2024 while on international duty with England and missed two weeks. A more serious hamstring tear in December required surgery after an injury sustained against Crystal Palace just before Christmas. He did not return to the first team until the beginning of April.

Arteta confirmed surgery is not required this time, but the loss still deprives Arsenal of Saka’s regular creativity and goalscoring threat. The club’s summer signing Noni Madueke, who arrived from Chelsea, has already started on the right wing at Anfield and was described as Arteta’s most lively creative force in that match. Madueke also started the game against Leeds, largely on the opposite flank, and appears to have earned Arteta’s trust.

Other internal options remain. Ethan Nwaneri often covered for Saka last season and Leandro Trossard has the versatility to fill the role in the short term while the England international recovers.