William Saliba: Mikel Arteta reveals reason for Arsenal defender's absence against Brentford

Mikel Arteta has provided an update on William Saliba’s absence from Arsenal’s squad in Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.

The Gunners, whose lead had been cut to three points after Manchester City’s 3-0 victory over Fulham 24 hours earlier, went into the fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium looking to secure a third consecutive league win and maintain their momentum over Pep Guardiola’s side.

Arteta’s team have displayed remarkable consistency throughout the 2025–26 campaign, but recent fitness concerns have begun to test the depth of the first-team squad.

Despite a convincing 3-0 triumph over Sunderland last weekend, the north Londoners were forced into several significant changes for the short trip to west London.

One such alteration came at the heart of their defence, with Saliba unable to feature alongside his Brazilian partner, Gabriel Magalhaes.

Brentford vs Arsenal: Arteta explains Saliba absence against Bees

Arteta confirmed before kick-off that Saliba was forced to withdraw from the matchday squad after falling ill on the morning of the game.

"This morning Wilo wasn't feeling good, so he's ill," stated the Arsenal manager via Mirror Football. "He's at home, just short-term."

The Frenchman had started 10 successive league matches since returning from injury in December, but was replaced in the heart of the defence by Cristhian Mosquera.

With the Spanish manager noting that Saliba's issue is short-term, Gooners should not worry about not having their best centre-back partnership for their next Premier League fixture next week at cellar-dwelling Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, the Gunners' other injury worries in other areas could derail their march towards a first top-flight crown since 2004.

Premier League title race: Could Arsenal's injuries hamper Arteta's men?

While Saliba's absence is considered a short-term issue, the loss of Havertz disrupts his progress after a recent productive spell in the forward line.

The absence of the German, along with Mikel Merino's long-term injury, limits Arteta's tactical options, with the ex-Chelsea player and the Spaniard capable of being deployed in multiple roles.

Although they were boosted by the returns of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, the duo has also faced injury concerns this season.

Arsenal, this season, are ostensibly better equipped to manage injuries than before, but Arteta will ideally want a fully fit squad in the final third of the campaign to support the North Londoners' pursuit of major titles.