Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about his surprise snubbing of young defender William Saliba so far this season.
The 19-year-old looks a huge prospect after impressing at Saint-Etienne, where he returned for a second spell on loan last term.
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Many Arsenal fans will have hoped to see Saliba become an instant starter in Arteta’s first-team this year, but it doesn’t look like going that way so far.
Saliba had some injury problems in 2019/20, and Arteta has suggested that could be a cause for concern with the player as he settles in at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal fans might be a little worried that this means Arteta is reluctant to use Saliba, but the Spanish tactician also spoke in glowing terms about the French centre-back in terms of his long-term future in north London.
When asked about not using Saliba so far this season, as quoted by the Metro, Arteta said: “I think William is doing really well.
“He is adapting to the country, adapting to our club.
“We have to bear in mind that he had a really challenging season last year with the amount of injuries that he had.
“But he is a player that is going to be really important in our future, things sometimes take some time and we have to respect that.”