Saliba Mystery Explained as Arsenal Release 2026/27 Squad Photo

Arsenal’s freshly released 2026/27 squad photo has certainly got people talking, and not for the reasons Mikel Arteta would have wanted. The glaring omission was William Saliba, a player who has become absolutely central to everything the Gunners do.

The French defender is no bit-part figure either. At £250,000 a week, he is paid like the elite centre-half he is, and on the pitch he’s been every inch that level. Last season he helped drive Arsenal to the Premier League title and all the way to the Champions League final, turning in 50 appearances across all competitions in the process. Add in four straight PFA Team of the Year selections and you’re looking at a man who has been among the very best defenders in the country for years.

So when his face was missing from the official photo, the reaction was instant. Plenty wondered whether there was more to it than met the eye. Journalist Charles Watts summed up the mood online, questioning why Arsenal would go ahead without Saliba when the picture could surely have been arranged for a day he was actually available.

In truth, there was no great mystery. Arsenal moved quickly to clear things up, explaining that Saliba had missed the shoot because of a medical appointment. Simple as that. No conspiracy, no fallout, just a scheduling issue linked to his ongoing recovery.

That said, the wider concern remains his fitness. Saliba has yet to play for Arsenal in 2026/27 after suffering a back injury while on international duty for France at the 2026 World Cup. It is believed the appointment is connected to that problem, and supporters will be hoping it is nothing more serious than routine rehabilitation work.

The encouraging sign is that he is at least back on the grass. Reports earlier this week suggested Saliba has returned to individual training, which won’t have the training-ground gossip merchants reaching for their notebooks just yet, but it does point in the right direction. These things take time, especially with back injuries, and Arsenal will not rush one of their most valuable players.

From the club’s point of view, the picture is hardly ideal, because they are already managing a defensive headache. With Piero Hincapie also sidelined for the next few weeks, the last thing Arteta needs is more disruption at the back. That is why Saliba’s progress matters so much.

There may still be a wait before he is back in competitive action, but the signs are at least brighter than they were a few weeks ago. And for Arsenal, that is the real story here: not a missing face in a squad photo, but a key man steadily moving towards a return when they need him most.

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Saliba absence causes a stir, but Arsenal insist it was straightforward

The optics were odd, no question about it. When one of your biggest players is missing from the team photo, people are bound to ask why. But Arsenal’s explanation suggests there is no drama lurking behind the scenes — just a medical diary clash and a defender still working his way back to full sharpness.