William Saliba to be used from bench for Arsenal at Slavia Prague, Arteta says

William Saliba will not start for Arsenal against Slavia Prague tonight at Fortuna Arena in their UEFA Champions League 2026-27 group-stage fixture, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed, and the defender has been named in the squad as a potential second-half substitute.

Arsenal travel to Prague for their fourth league-phase outing in the 2026-27 Champions League under Arteta, having won two of their first three UCL matches and remaining unbeaten in the competition so far. The Gunners were recently eliminated from the Carabao Cup by fourth-division Fleetwood Town but returned to winning ways with a 1-0 Premier League victory over Liverpool; overall, they have secured three wins in their last five matches and are seeking momentum in Europe.

Saliba has been absent for around four months with a back problem and, while available, is not yet being reinstated as a starter. Arteta said: “His evolution has been as expected, which is not always the case. He feels very comfortable. He played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week. He feels ready to go now, so whether we use him or not is a matter of what the team needs.”

On squad management ahead of the fixture, Arteta added: “We are going to have the opportunity to … manage the congestion of the players in a much better way than we have actually done it,” said Arteta during the pre-match press conference.

In Saliba’s absence this season, the £55million summer signing, Ezri Konsa, has been deployed alongside Gabriel Magalhaes and has performed well in Arsenal’s backline. The club report that, although Saliba may be ready, he will only come in as a substitute in the second half.

Slavia Prague enter the match having not won a Champions League fixture since 2007, a statistic referenced in the match build-up, and broadcasters SonyLIV and Sony Sports Network are listed as the only ways to watch all the fixtures live.

Arteta’s confirmed plan to withhold Saliba from the starting XI, with the French centre-back expected to be introduced in the second half if required, leaves Arsenal aiming to convert their unbeaten UCL run into further points with an away victory at Fortuna Arena.