William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are ready to return while Kai Havertz boost adds momentum before Elland Road test
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are fit to travel with Arsenal to Elland Road, removing any lingering doubt ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Leeds United.
Both defenders were left out of the 3-2 midweek Champions League win over Kairat Almaty, but Arteta stressed there was no cause for alarm.
The decision, he explained, was about protecting players who have been carrying minor issues after a heavy run of minutes.
“Yeah, they are okay. Obviously, they have played a lot of minutes, they’ve been carrying a few niggles, and it was a really good opportunity for us to offload them a little bit and refresh them,” Arteta said.
There was also encouragement in attack. Kai Havertz made his first Arsenal start since February in midweek and came through the match without any negative reaction.
The German forward scored and provided an assist before being withdrawn at half time, a planned decision as he continues his return to full match sharpness.
“Yes, he’s ready, obviously he started the game, obviously it’s been a long period and now we need to manage that load and the games that we’re going to select for him to start,” Arteta explained.
“But there was no reaction to that, I think it was super positive, you could see straight away the impact that he can have in the team, so yeah, he’s ready.”
Arsenal sense opportunity as pressure builds on rivals
The timing of those fitness boosts matters. Arsenal head to Leeds knowing the wider weekend schedule could work in their favour.
Manchester City and Aston Villa are both in action on Sunday, against Tottenham and Brentford respectively, meaning Arsenal could extend their lead at the top of the table before their nearest challengers even kick off.
That does not make the task any simpler, as Leeds have shown clear improvement under Daniel Farke and are beginning to look more organised and confident, particularly at home.
Elland Road remains one of the league’s more demanding away grounds, with intensity from the stands often matched on the pitch.
Arteta is aware that freshness will be key. Managing workloads has been a constant theme of Arsenal’s season so far, especially with domestic and European commitments overlapping.
The careful handling of Saliba, Timber and Havertz reflects that broader approach rather than any short-term concern.