William Saliba has returned to training with Arsenal

London Arsenal defender William Saliba returned to full training with the main group ahead of the Champions League match against Slavia Prague, according to BBC Sport. The French footballer missed the start of the season due to a long-standing back injury that flared up after he was substituted early in the World Cup semi-final.

In the absence of the 25-year-old Frenchman, the position in the center of defense alongside Gabriel was successfully filled by the team's newcomer Ezri Konsa, who was acquired in the summer from Aston Villa for 55 million pounds. The Anglo-Brazilian partnership showed excellent reliability: the Premier League-leading Arsenal have conceded only five goals in nine league matches.

The London club's medical staff opted against surgery, choosing long-term rehabilitation for the full recovery of the key defender, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of last season. The player's return to the squad creates serious competition in the defensive line ahead of a busy winter stretch of the tournament.

For head coach Mikel Arteta, the solution to the selection problem may lie in shifting the versatile Konsa to the right flank, where the defender has already played for the England national team. However, the team already has Ben White and Jurrien Timber there, and the appearance of Saliba will also reduce the chances of playing time for the young defender Christian Mosquera, who has recovered from an injury.