Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has claimed that Arsenal are a weaker team without defender William Saliba, who has been ruled out for up to four weeks with injury.
Saliba was forced off after just five minutes in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool, and further scans confirmed he will miss upcoming fixtures against Athletic Bilbao, Manchester City, Newcastle, Olympiacos, and West Ham.
The France international also pulled out of his country’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Iceland.
Speaking on Betfair, Shearer highlighted Saliba’s importance:
“Saliba has been a big player for the Gunners… there’s no doubt he’ll be a big miss because he’s such a good player.”
However, the former England striker added that Arsenal cannot expect sympathy:
“You won’t get too much sympathy because of who and what they are, the money that they’ve spent, and the squad that they’ve got there. That happens to all the big boys when you spend a fortune.”
Arsenal will face Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium in their next Premier League outing.
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