Arsenal go into Saturday’s game with Hull City with Bukayo Saka still out, Max Dowman suspended and a fresh question mark over Ezri Konsa, but William Saliba is finally ready to play his first minutes of the season.
Arsenal host Hull at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday 7 November, with kick-off at 3pm UK time. It is the last game before the November international break, and a win would be the ninth from the opening ten Premier League games, keeping Mikel Arteta’s side top of the table.
The squad came through the 2-1 win over Slavia Prague on Wednesday mostly intact. Arteta did not rotate as heavily as many expected, and Declan Rice started in Czechia despite saying after the win at Anfield that he could do with sleeping for a couple of days.
Is Ezri Konsa fit to face Hull City?
That is the big unknown. Ezri Konsa started in Prague next to Gabriel, was seen feeling his knee in the first half and was taken off in the second half. Arteta made it clear the change was about his fitness rather than tactics.
Speaking after the game, Arteta said: “Obviously he’s playing a lot. He’s played so many games in the last few weeks. He had some issues and we decided to take him off.” He had already explained the early exit in his post-match verdict on the second half in Prague, and the next update should come at Friday’s pre-match press conference.
The good news is that Arsenal have cover in the middle of defence, so there is no need to take a risk with the summer signing against Hull.
Saliba ready for his first game of the season
That cover starts with William Saliba. The Frenchman has not played this season because of a back injury he made worse while on duty for France at the World Cup in the summer. He avoided surgery, played 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly last week and returned to full training on Tuesday.
He travelled to Prague and sat on the bench without coming on. Arteta explained before the trip why the club chose the no-surgery route for Saliba, and he was clear that the defender is ready.
“He’s in a really good place,” Arteta said on Tuesday. “His evolution has been as expected, which is not always the case. He feels really comfortable. He played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week. He feels ready to go. Whether we use him or not now is a matter of what the team needs.”
If Konsa needs a rest, Hull at home looks like the natural place for Saliba to come back.
How long is Bukayo Saka out?
Nobody knows yet. Bukayo Saka has missed four games in a row with the quad injury he picked up after just ten minutes against Bayern Munich last month, and he is not expected to play against Hull.
There have been fears he could be out for as long as eight weeks, but the timeline depends on another scan. Before the Liverpool game, Arteta said: “As I said, he needed another scan to see how the amount of fluid that was there was resolving, whether the tendon is touched and how badly it is touched.”
Dowman serves the second game of his ban
Max Dowman is the other certain absentee. The 16-year-old is serving a three-match domestic suspension after his red card at Fleetwood, which is why he could still play in the Champions League in midweek. Hull is the second game of the ban, and the trip to Newcastle United after the international break completes it.
What about Eberechi Eze?
Arteta’s update on Eberechi Eze after Anfield had caused some worry, but he trained before Prague, started the game and played just over an hour. He should be available on Saturday.
Hull City team news
Hull City arrive with a longer list. Sergej Jakirovic is without Eliot Matazo and Matt Targett for the long term, while Charlie Hughes (groin), Darko Gyabi (groin), Ilyas Ansah (back) and Lucas Gourna-Douath (calf) are all expected to miss out barring a surprise recovery.
Matt Crooks is suspended after his fifth booking in six Premier League games. Summer signing Jack Butland could be back after missing the whole season so far, having played 90 minutes for the under-21s in a 1-0 win over Derby on Monday. Even so, 23-year-old Konstantinos Tzolakis has impressed as the number one, so Butland is unlikely to walk straight back in.
Verdict: two out, one doubt, and a big return
For a squad that has been without Saliba all season, this is a short list. Saka and Dowman are the only certain absentees, and the Konsa question matters less with Saliba back in the squad.
We would start Saliba against Hull and give Konsa the weekend off before the international break. Arteta has the depth to do it, and two weeks without a club game is the perfect time to give Saliba proper minutes rather than risk a tired defender with a sore knee.
