William Saliba’s return gives Arsenal a timely defensive option ahead of Gameweek 10, but Mikel Arteta’s comments leave the centre-back’s immediate minutes uncertain. Liverpool have a less settled picture around Ryan Gravenberch, whose heel fracture is being assessed daily, while Manchester City say Antoine Semenyo is their only senior player absent from training.
The latest updates came from press conferences held by Arteta, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola and City manager Enzo Maresca ahead of their midweek Champions League fixtures. Their comments offer useful context for FPL managers, though training availability and being “fit to play” don’t guarantee a start or a full 90 minutes.
Monday’s updates from Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Manchester United’s Michael Carrick are available here.
Arsenal: Saliba is available, but his minutes need managing
Saliba has resumed training with the Arsenal squad after a back injury, following reports of his return to the grass on Monday evening. Footage on Tuesday showed him working with his teammates. Arteta then confirmed that the France international is “now fit and available to play”.
William Saliba in training with the rest of the Arsenal squad right now. https://t.co/PQ78C6DPlQ
— TrueAFCNews (@TrueAFCNews) November 3, 2026
That status is encouraging for Arsenal, but it doesn’t settle the FPL question of when Saliba returns to the starting XI. Arteta said the defender played 45 minutes in a closed-door match last week and has responded well to his recovery programme. Whether he features now, the manager said, will depend on what the team needs.
Arteta described Saliba’s progress as being in line with expectations and said the player feels comfortable. The club has tracked his workload through each stage of the recovery, with the aim of building enough capacity before bringing him back into match action. The manager said Saliba is ready to go, while also stressing that Arsenal need to choose the right moment and amount of playing time.
There’s a practical complication: centre-backs are harder to ease into a match than attacking players who can be substituted more readily. Arteta said a central defender normally needs to be capable of playing 90 minutes, so Arsenal have prepared Saliba with that demand in mind. His availability is therefore clearer than his likely role against any particular opponent.
The injury was treated without surgery. Arteta said specialists considered the available options and recommended a conservative approach, taking Saliba’s history into account. He described the defender’s progress as positive and said he is now fit and available. The comments provide reassurance about the recovery, but Arteta did not promise an immediate start.
For managers holding Ezri Konsa, Saliba’s return adds a potential threat to minutes. Arteta said Konsa’s main position is centre-back, though he can play on either side of the defence and at full-back. He also noted that Saliba has played in different positions for Arsenal and the national team. Having those options should help Arsenal manage player workload, according to the manager, but the exact arrangement will depend on the team’s needs.
Saliba’s comeback also comes alongside a separate absence: Bukayo Saka remains out with a quad injury. Max Dowman is still suspended from domestic matches, though he is eligible to play in the Champions League. Those situations have different implications for Gameweek 10: Saliba could return to contention, Saka is unavailable, and Dowman’s suspension applies to domestic competition.
Liverpool: Gravenberch’s weekend status remains unclear
Ryan Gravenberch did not travel with Liverpool’s 22-man squad for the club’s Champions League trip to Fenerbahce. He is staying at the AXA Training Centre for treatment on a heel fracture, and Iraola said the midfielder’s condition is being monitored day by day.
The immediate issue is pain and confidence. Gravenberch had discomfort while warming up against Arsenal and did not feel fully confident. Iraola said there had been no improvement since then, leaving him unable to say whether the midfielder could be available for the weekend. He would be a useful option if fit, the manager added, but there is no firm return timeline.
That uncertainty makes Gravenberch a watch-and-wait case for FPL managers. A daily assessment leaves open the possibility of progress before the weekend, but the latest comments do not confirm that he will be ready. His absence from the travelling squad establishes that he is not part of Liverpool’s Champions League plans for this trip; it doesn’t, by itself, resolve his status for the next league match.
Liverpool also remain without Hugo Ekitike, who has an Achilles injury; Conor Bradley, with a knee problem; Jeremie Frimpong, with a hamstring injury; and Giovanni Leoni, who is recovering from a knee injury.
Liverpool’s travelling squad: Alisson, Gomez, van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Munoz, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Barcola, Araujo, Nyoni, Chambers, McConnell, Koumas, Ngumoha, Danns.
Manchester City: one senior absentee at training
City’s training report was the most straightforward of the three clubs. Maresca said the senior squad is fully fit apart from Semenyo, who has a knee injury and is described as a medium-term absentee. Youngsters Ryan McAidoo and Kaden Braithwaite were also missing from Tuesday’s session, but neither was listed as a senior absentee.
City players in good spirits this morning as they prepare for Leipzig clash in the Champions League. Antoine Semenyo the only senior absentee from the group. No Ryan McAidoo or Kaden Braithwaite. #MCFC https://t.co/lGClGPbuXy
— Alex James (@AlexJamesSport) November 3, 2026
Maresca framed player availability across the longer season, arguing that the campaign should be treated as a marathon rather than a sprint. He said City need to win matches now while also aiming to have their players fit for February, March and April. The message points to workload management as a continuing factor in team selection, even with most senior players currently available.
For FPL purposes, a healthy squad gives City a wide range of selection options, which can make individual minutes harder to predict. The training update doesn’t indicate a change to the status of any other senior player, but it also doesn’t establish who will start or how long they will play.
Manchester City’s travelling squad: Donnarumma, Rulli, Bettinelli, Lewis, Nunes, Khusanov, Reis, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri, O’Reilly, Bouaddi, Anderson, Kovacic, Fernandez, Foden, Cherki, Allan, Ndiaye, Doku, Samba, Haaland.
What to track before the deadline
Saliba’s return to training and Arteta’s confirmation that he is available are the clearest positive update, though Arsenal have not said how soon he will play or how many minutes he can manage. Gravenberch’s status is more uncertain: Liverpool are assessing his pain daily, with no decision yet on whether he can feature at the weekend. City report a largely fit senior group, with Semenyo the exception.
The useful distinction for the coming deadline is between confirmed availability and confirmed selection. Saliba has reached the first; Gravenberch has not yet received a weekend clearance; City’s training report supplies no starting XI. Those situations should become clearer as the clubs approach their next league fixtures.
