Arsenal to Retake Team Photo With Saliba After Omission

Arsenal to retake official team photo with William Saliba after omission confusion

Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will take a new team photograph including William Saliba after the defender's surprise absence from the official 2026/27 squad picture. Saliba missed the original shoot due to a medical appointment, but the manager insisted the 25-year-old is "completely fine" about the situation.

What happened: William Saliba was absent from Arsenal's official 2026/27 team photo
Reason: Medical appointment, according to Arteta
Resolution: Arsenal will retake the photo with Saliba included
Saliba status: Yet to play this season due to a back injury; back in grass training
Next step: MRI scan scheduled for next week
Next match: Arsenal away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, live on Sky Sports

What was said

"What happened was that we have tried to do that picture three times already and we had to cancel it last minute for different reasons."
— Mikel Arteta, explaining the team photo delay

"We had some commercial obligations, we had some people who flew over to do that, so we decided to do that picture."
— Mikel Arteta, on why the original photo was published

"We will have another picture with the whole family. Hopefully we can get them all together at some point one day, and we'll announce that as well."
— Mikel Arteta, confirming Arsenal plan to retake the photo

"Well, it wasn't in his hands. But Willy is normally happy about everything. He knows how loved he is. He was taking some banter from the players and he is completely fine."
— Mikel Arteta, on Saliba's reaction to the omission

"I think next week we have another MRI with him to see how the healing process is going. But every sign so far has been very, very positive. It will be good to have him."
— Mikel Arteta, on Saliba's injury recovery

Arteta's response was relaxed and practical. He acknowledged the commercial pressures that led to the original photo being taken without Saliba, and he moved quickly to reassure supporters that the defender remains central to the club's plans. The phrase "whole family" is telling: Arteta wants the squad portrait to reflect unity, not the fragmented reality of a player managing a back problem.

His insistence that Saliba is "completely fine" — and that the defender even took banter from teammates — suggests there is no dressing-room fallout. That matters. A player of Saliba's stature missing from a club's flagship marketing image would normally fuel transfer speculation, but Arteta's calm explanation removes that narrative before it gathers pace.

Injury and availability

William Saliba: Yet to play this season because of a back injury. Resumed training on the grass earlier this month. Another MRI is scheduled for next week to assess healing. Arteta reports "very, very positive" signs so far.
Rest of squad: No new injuries or availability issues mentioned by Arteta for the trip to Nottingham Forest.

Why Arsenal are handling the Saliba photo issue perfectly

The optics could have been messy. A 25-year-old defender with 184 Arsenal appearances missing from the official squad photo is the kind of detail that fuels wild speculation. But Arteta killed the story with detail: three cancelled attempts, commercial obligations, people flown in, a medical appointment. That is a manager who understands modern football's information ecosystem.

Retaking the photo is not just a PR fix. It is a signal to Saliba that he remains part of the core group. A back injury is notoriously unpredictable, and the psychological side of recovery is just as important as the physical. Including him in the retake — however symbolic — reinforces his status.

On the pitch, Arsenal must cope without him against Nottingham Forest. The manager has not named a replacement in the source, but the defensive structure will likely rely on the existing centre-back partnership. The bigger picture is Saliba's return timeline. An MRI next week will determine whether he can step up his comeback. Until then, Arsenal's medical staff will manage his load carefully. The signs, per Arteta, are encouraging.

Talking points

Should Arsenal have delayed the official photo entirely rather than publish one without a first-team regular like Saliba?
Arteta says Saliba is "completely fine", but does missing a club photo really matter to players in the modern game?
With 184 appearances already, is Saliba still Arsenal's most important defender despite his current absence?
If the MRI next week is positive, how quickly should Arsenal rush him back into the first team?

What happens next

Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, as they continue their Premier League campaign without Saliba. The defender will undergo an MRI next week to assess the healing process of his back injury. If the scan delivers the positive news Arteta expects, Saliba could return to full training soon after. The retaken team photo will be announced in due course, with the manager promising to include the "whole family".

Frequently asked questions

Is William Saliba in Arsenal's official team photo?

No, he was absent from the published 2026/27 team photo because of a medical appointment, but Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will retake the picture with him included.

Why did Saliba miss Arsenal's team photo?

Arteta said Saliba was unavailable to attend due to a medical appointment, and the photo shoot had already been cancelled three times before commercial obligations forced Arsenal to proceed.

When will William Saliba return from injury?

Saliba is yet to play this season because of a back injury, but he resumed grass training earlier this month and will have an MRI next week to check his healing progress.