Mikel Arteta has named his lineup as Arsenal face Chelsea in just under an hour and he has been forced to deal with yet another huge defensive blow.
One name many fans will have been surprised to see missing from the starting XI was William Saliba as he was absent from both the team and the matchday squad with the Gunners confirming he will miss the game after suffering an injury in training.
Cristhian Mosquera has stepped in on the right side of defence as a result and while Arteta has the depth to deal with such an injury, it is far from an ideal situation for the Spaniard.
William Saliba misses Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea
William Saliba misses out after a knock in training, while Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres return to the squad.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2025
With Gabriel already out injured, one of the big debates ahead of Arsenal’s London derby clash with Chelsea was whether Mosquera or Piero Hincapié would fill in for the Brazilian, but both have ended up starting in defence.
There were no real indications in the build-up that Saliba would be absent and the reason for his lack of appearance at Stamford Bridge is due to suffering a knock in training, as the Gunners’ official X account confirmed when releasing the team news.
That is simply a huge blow for Arteta as he already has to deal with the absence of Gabriel and losing his defensive partner is far from ideal.
The Spaniard will be thankful that he has another great option to call upon in the form of Mosquera to take Saliba’s place on the right side of defence, but as great as he and Hincapié are, a centre back pairing of two relative newcomers to the Premier League will be a very welcoming sign for the Chelsea attack.
It is currently unclear how long Saliba will be unavailable for and both Arteta and Arsenal fans will be hoping it isn’t for an extended period as there will only be so long the Gunners can cope without the pair at the back.
However, it does present Mosquera and Hincapié a great chance to prove themselves and show their worth in this title-chasing Arsenal side. Today’s game at Stamford Bridge will be a good chance for them to audition for the centre back roles.
Most fans will be distracted by the devastating Saliba news, but one positive to take from the squad announcement is the return of Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus, who both make their comebacks from respecitve injuries to make the bench at Stamford Bridge.
Kick off will be here soon and you can follow all the live updates here.
