Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has explained why William Saliba was left out of the side that beat Liverpool on Thursday night.
The Gunners got revenge for their defeat to the Reds earlier in the week by dumping Jurgen Klopp’s side out of the Carabao Cup on penalties.
After a goalless 90 minutes, the pair headed to a shootout for the second time this season, with Arsenal emerging victorious again, just as they did in the Community Shield.
Many fans were expecting to finally see young centre-back Saliba in the starting line-up.
However, Gabriel and Rob Holding featured at Anfield in a much changed side from the one that featured on Monday night.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
And Arteta has explained there was a good reason for Saliba’s exclusion, insisting it was too early in the teenager’s recovery from a busy year last season.
“He had a year last year where Arsenal loaned him to St Etienne and that was a transition year for him,” Arteta said.
“For many reasons, that wasn’t the transition year that he needed because he had a lot of injuries, some personal injuries and also with COVID and the French league getting cancelled, he didn’t have that year.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“He needs that year of transition and we are trying to make the right decisions for him to give him the best transitional year for him to have the player we want in our future.”
Arsenal take on Manchester City in the quarter-finals next, and Arteta admitted that it would be another mammoth challenge to progress.
“I was enjoying the victory in the dressing room and I got the news,” the Spaniard said earlier.
“Another massive challenge for us but we’re not getting very lucky with the draws at the moment. But we’ll prepare [for] the game and try to win of course.”
