Olaleye Idowu
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has stated that the absence of William Saliba has weakened Arsenal as a team.
The Gunners will be without their key central defender, Saliba, for the coming weeks due to injury.
The France international was forced off during the Gunners’ 1-0 defeat to Liverpool after just five minutes.
He could not make the France team for their 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Ukraine and Iceland, respectively.
L’Equipe reports he will be on the sidelines for about three or four weeks.
He won’t play against Athletic Bilbao, Manchester City, Newcastle, Olympiacos, and West Ham.
But before then, Arsenal play Nottingham Forest in their next Premier League outing at the Emirates Stadium.
And speaking on Betfair, Shearer said Saliba has been a big player for the Gunners.
“But you won’t get too much sympathy because of who and what they are, the money that they’ve spent, and the squad that they’ve got there,” he added.
“That happens to all the big boys when you spend a fortune. You’re not going to get too much sympathy from rival clubs.
“There’s no doubt Saliba will be a big miss for Arsenal because he’s such a good player.”
