Why Arsenal were forced to take team photo without William Saliba as Mikel Arteta makes "three times" admission

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the Gunners will retake their 2026-27 team photo with William Saliba present after the defender was not involved in their official photoshoot.

Earlier this week, the Premier League champions had their annual team picture taken on the London Colney training pitches - alongside the top-flight and Community Shield trophies - but Saliba was a notable absentee from the ranks.

Arsenal quickly explained that the Frenchman was unavailable on the day due to a medical appointment; Saliba has been out since the summer with a back injury and is not anticipated to return for another few weeks.

However, Arsenal's explanation did not cut it with supporters, who demanded the picture be retaken with the defender given the role he played in the Gunners' 2025-26 title triumph.

Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's Premier League battle with Nottingham Forest, Arteta revealed that Arsenal had already tried and failed to take the photo three times and were ultimately forced to go Saliba-less due to commercial obligations.

Why Arsenal were forced to take team photo without William Saliba

The class of 26/27 ? https://t.co/gwUqnfuLfW
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 14, 2026

But the Spaniard stressed that another team photo with the centre-back is planned, telling reporters: "We've tried to do that picture three times already and we had to cancel it at the last minute.

"We have some commercial obligations so we had to do that picture. We will have another picture with the whole family when we can hopefully get them together."

Saliba made his return to individual training before Arsenal's 3-0 win over Lille in the Champions League, and a return just after the November international break has not been ruled out.

However, Arteta was coy when asked for an injury update on the France international on Friday, adding: "Next week we have another MRI next week to see how he's progressing."

Saliba is one of four Arsenal players who missed the midweek triumph over Lille alongside Christos Tzolis (hamstring), Piero Hincapie and Martin Zubimendi, both of whom picked up ankle problems in the warm-down after last weekend's 2-1 victory over Leeds United.

Mikel Arteta delivers quadruple Arsenal injury update before Nottingham Forest

Hincapie was already known to be missing for another couple of weeks, but there is a chance that Zubimendi could make a swift return to the matchday squad at the City Ground.

"Piero is evolving really well as well, knowing his character and the way he pushes everybody, it's not going to take long I don't think, probably another week or two," Arteta added. "Zubi is doing much better, we have another session tomorrow, let's see how he evolves."

Meanwhile, Tzolis is "progressing really well" in his recovery from his hamstring problem, but it will still be a "few weeks" before the Greek attacker is considered for selection again.

Arsenal's opponents Nottingham Forest have been dealt a bigger injury concern ahead of Sunday's game, though, as Oliver Glasner has revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White is a doubt with a minor muscular problem he picked up against Crystal Palace last weekend.