ben white — Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed William Saliba is likely to miss the club’s FA Cup trip to Mansfield with an ankle problem after being ruled out of the win over Brighton on Wednesday night ET. Cristhian Mosquera stepped into the defence alongside Gabriel for that match after Saliba picked up the issue in the clash with Chelsea, where he scored and played the full 90. Arteta said Saliba was managing the injury but added “I doubt it” when asked if the centre‑back would be in contention for Mansfield.
Immediate fallout: Saliba ruled doubtful, Mosquera starts
Saliba will not be available for the midweek clash in Brighton and is expected to be absent for the FA Cup tie at Mansfield on Saturday ET, the manager confirmed. The problem originated during the match with Chelsea, when Saliba scored the opener and completed the game; by the end of that fixture he was “not comfortable to finish the game” and “didn’t have a good feeling, ” Arteta said. Mosquera, a summer signing, came in for Saliba at Brighton and partnered Gabriel in central defence.
Arteta described the current issue as separate from an earlier ankle problem this season. “No, it’s the other one, ” he said, adding that the earlier ankle issue had previously led to a short absence. The manager also noted that Saliba had an ankle tweak in the warm‑up at Anfield in August that forced an early replacement then.
Ben White and squad rotation questions
The defensive cover provided by Mosquera has been used before this season, and he was substituted at Brighton after picking up a yellow card and struggling at times against Yankuba Minteh, with Riccardo Calafiori brought on. Mosquera has started multiple Premier League games as deputy this season and provided a stopgap in Saliba’s absence.
Arteta warned that, given the relentless fixture list and upcoming European duties, squad management will be important: the team travel to Germany midweek ET to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, with the FA Cup tie at Mansfield scheduled for Saturday ET.
Quick context and what comes next
Saliba has had ankle issues at two points this season: the warm‑up twist at Anfield in August and a separate ankle problem that kept him out from late November until mid‑December, Arteta said. The manager described one of those earlier problems as “something quite small” that then altered Saliba’s running mechanics and led to overload elsewhere.
Arsenal’s immediate schedule compounds the concern. After Mansfield on Saturday ET, the club travel to Germany midweek ET for the Champions League second leg; they are due to host Everton on March 14 ET and then play the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen before contesting the Carabao Cup final on March 22 ET. Arteta said he will “see if he recovers quickly, ” setting a short window for assessment as the team push through a congested spell.
With Saliba’s availability uncertain and the squad set to be tested across domestic and European fronts, selection decisions will be watched closely ahead of Mansfield on Saturday ET and the fixtures that follow — ben white.
