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Why William Saliba Isn’t Playing for Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
Arsenal face a tough challenge in the Premier league when former manager, Unai Emery, and eighth place Aston Villa come to Emirates Stadium.
To make matters worse, they’ll be without one of their key defenders: William Saliba. The French defender was not named to the squad facing Villa on Saturday, Jan. 18 with what the club is calling a minor issue.
Jurrien Timber is slated to start at center back next to Gabriel while Thomas Partey fills in at right back.
Fans hope Saliba won’t be out for too long given the injuries to Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Gabriel Jesus. Arsenal have the best defense in the league so far this campaign conceding just 19 goals in 21 games, but Timber will now have to deputize centrally adding even more minutes to a player that could use a rest coming off an ACL injury.
Still, Timber is well equipped to fill in for Saliba and pair Gabriel in the heart of the defense.
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There has been much speculation and confusion surrounding the absence of William Saliba from Arsenal’s matchday squad against Aston Villa. Many fans have been left scratching their heads, wondering why the highly-rated young defender hasn’t been given a chance to showcase his talents in such an important game.
One possible reason for Saliba’s omission could be due to tactical reasons. Mikel Arteta may have felt that the 19-year-old was not yet ready to handle the pressure of such a high-stakes match, and decided to leave him out of the squad in order to protect his development.
Another possibility could be related to fitness issues. Saliba has recently returned from a loan spell at Nice, where he suffered a couple of injuries that may have impacted his readiness to play for Arsenal. It’s possible that Arteta is taking a cautious approach with the young defender in order to avoid any further setbacks.
Regardless of the reason behind Saliba’s absence, it’s clear that Arsenal fans are eager to see him in action. With his immense potential and talent, many are hoping that it won’t be long before Saliba is given the opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage. Until then, fans will have to wait patiently for his time to shine.
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William Saliba, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Premier League, football, soccer, defender, lineup, tactics, Mikel Arteta, loan, playing time, performance, French, young talent, manager’s decision, speculation, analysis, match, starting XI
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