Lineker tells Arteta when to bring William Saliba back into the starting XI

Gary Lineker has advised Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to delay William Saliba's return to the starting lineup. Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker argued that Arteta should keep Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes as his starting centre-backs until defensive mistakes or conceded goals warrant a tactical change.

Saliba has returned to the squad after being sidelined since suffering a back injury with France at the 2026 World Cup. In his absence, Konsa and Magalhaes helped Arsenal achieve seven clean sheets in 10 Premier League matches, earning Konsa an October Player of the Month nomination.