Why William Saliba was absent from Arsenal's win at Brighton

William Saliba was absent from the Arsenal squad as his side battled to a 1-0 win away to Brighton on Wednesday night.

The Frenchman was confirmed to be suffering from an ankle issue that he picked up in the 2-1 victory over London rivals Chelsea at the weekend, forcing him to miss the trip to the Amex.

While he wasn't fit enough to make the trip to face the Seagulls, fans will be hoping the injury isn't too much of a concern and will be wanting him back in the squad soon.

Ankle issue kept William Saliba out of Brighton win

Speaking ahead of the win at Brighton, Mikel Arteta confirmed Saliba's absence was down to an ankle issue as he turned his ankle against Chelsea and despite managing to finish that game, he was too sore to play against the Seagulls.

The defender scored the opening goal against the Blues and put in a good defensive performance to help his side to the win with no real indication he had picked up an injury.

However, he was noticed to absent from Arsenal's training session prior to the trip to the Amex, sparking concerns he would not be involved on the South Coast. Those fears came true when he was not named in the matchday squad.

Cristhian Mosquera took his place in the backline as he made his first Premier League start since a 1-1 draw at Brentford just a few weeks ago. The Spaniard struggled though and was substituted for Riccardo Calafiori midway through the second-half after almost conceding a penalty.

It is not currently known if Saliba will be fit enough to return against Mansfield Town, but it is unlikely he would have started at Field Mill so he should be given further rest this weekend.

Fans will be hoping he won't be unavailable for any longer though as the race for silverware continues to heat up in the coming weeks. The Gunners take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League round of 16 either side of a home clash with Everton before meeting Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.