Mikel Arteta will not recall on-loan defender William Saliba from Saint-Etienne for Arsenal’s Premier League run-in despite his one-year deal having lapsed, but warned fans not to expect the finished article when the 19-year-old finally makes his Gunners bow next season.
Saliba was loaned back to the Ligue 1 side after completing a £27m transfer last summer, and despite an injury-hit season helped them reach the final of the Coupe de France. The team will play Paris Saint Germain on 24 July.
It means the 19-year-old will be allowed to complete the season with Saint Etienne, but leaves Arteta with holes to fill in a defence that has been stretched by injuries either side of the lockdown.
David Luiz limped out of the team’s 2-1 win at Sheffield United in the FA Cup on Sunday, while Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers remain long-term absentees.
Arsenal will have little margin for error when they face Norwich at the Emirates on Wednesday having taken just three points from three games in their race to qualify for the Champions League.
Nevertheless, the manager said he is prepared to wait for Saliba.
“I think he needs to stay there,” said Arteta. “We had an agreement with Saint Etienne, he’s been all year over there, he’s earned his right to play in that final if the manager wants to do that. I think we have to give him the opportunity to do that, to enjoy that, and we can have him after that.”
Saliba played 13 times for Saint-Etienne before Ligue 1 was suspended in March and subsequently cancelled.
His season was curtailed in November by a metatarsal injury and the club have fared badly in his absence, plummeting from the European places to the brink of the relegation zone.
“I spoke with him a few times,” said Arteta. “He’s been [to Arsenal] a few times here as well. He’s been following us this season. As a young player, he’s had a difficult season with injuries that he’s had. But it’s part of his process.”
The France under-20 international is likely to be phased in gradually back at Arsenal next season, with central defenders Mari and Luiz having last week signed extended deals.
Arteta added: “I know how high the expectations are of him for next year, but we have to bear in mind the age he’s at and what he’s done in the past. I’ll make sure we create the right environment for him so he can keep growing as a player.”
Mesut Ozil is set to miss out yet again against Norwich as he continues his recovery from a back injury.
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The club’s highest-paid player is yet to feature since the Premier League resumed last month and continues to face criticism for pocketing astronomical wages for little return.
However, Arteta remains firmly behind his Gunners ex-teammate and says the money has no impact over his team selection.
“I think Mesut has unique qualities,” he said “He’s a very special player for the position he plays, how specific he is in the quality he has and what he can bring to the team.
“[His wages] are an agreement that the player and the club were really happy to do to move ahead and it’s never a question. I think players are paid whatever they deserve. There are both parties here and it should never be something that I have to judge him on.”
Arteta remains confident Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s four-game scoring drought is a blip that will end soon. He added: “I don’t think [contract talk] has affected him. He’s having chances, he’s creating situations, and hopefully [against Norwich] he can score a few.”
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