Mikel Arteta clarifies the nature of the injury ahead of the FA Cup tie at Mansfield Town.
William Saliba missed Arsenal’s midweek Premier League win over Brighton, but Mikel Arteta has confirmed the injury concern involves his other ankle rather than the one that troubled the defender earlier this season.
Arteta provided the update ahead of Arsenal’s FA Cup tie against Mansfield Town, explaining that the centre-back felt discomfort after the previous match and was unable to continue.
Asked whether the issue related to the ankle Saliba injured against Liverpool earlier in the campaign, Arteta said: “No, it’s the other one.
“We saw after the game he wasn’t comfortable to finish the game and after that, straight away, he didn’t have a good feeling. So let’s see if he recovers quickly.”
Saliba was always unlikely to feature in the FA Cup tie, and Arteta suggested his availability remained doubtful when asked if he could return in time for the trip to Mansfield.
“I doubt it.”
Arteta also addressed the situation of Max Dowman, who returned to the bench against Brighton after several months out with his own ankle problem.
Reflecting on the period away from the pitch, Arteta said: “[He learned] A lot.
“First of all, you miss playing, that’s the first thing, so don’t take it for granted because it can be taken away from you when you don’t expect it, and for a long time as well.
“He had different routines, he starts to understand more the rehab coaches, the physio, the doctor, the importance of the scan, the discipline that you need to maintain yourself fit when you have an injury because if not, it’s going to take a long time to get back to your levels.
“But he’s done so well. He’s been looking really good in training and hopefully we can give him chances to play.”