Bold headline-worthy update: Saliba returns from illness as Arsenal shuffle eight for FA Cup clash with Wigan.
Arsenal confirm William Saliba is back in action after illness, as Mikel Arteta unleashes eight changes for the FA Cup fourth-round home tie against Wigan Athletic. Saliba’s inclusion comes after his illness kept him out of the trip to Brentford on Thursday. He lines up in a back four alongside Cristhian Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and captain Ben White, who wears the armband for the visit to North London. The defensive quartet sits in front of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who started the previous round against Portsmouth last month.
In midfield, Christian Norgaard and Eberechi Eze lineup to pull the strings. Up front, Bukayo Saka partners Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, with Noni Madueke completing a dynamic front line after Martinelli’s brilliant hat-trick in the third-round win at Fratton Park.
On the bench, academy talents Marli Salmon and Ceadach O’Neill are named, joined by Tommy Setford, Piero Hincapie, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Leandro Trossard, and Declan Rice—providing Arteta with a wealth of options if required.
For the visitors, former Arsenal forward Matt Smith drops to the bench after the 2-1 defeat to Reading. Owen Moxon is introduced, alongside Raphael Rodrigues and Joe Taylor, as Harrison Bettoni and Christian Saydee make way.
Line-ups
Arsenal: Arrizabalaga, White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Eze, Saka, Madueke, Martinelli, Jesus
Substitutes: Setford, Hincapie, Gabriel, Gyokeres, Trossard, Zubimendi, Rice, Salmon, O’Neill
Wigan Athletic: Tickle, Fox, Aimson, Kerr, Hunt, Murray, Wier, Moxon, Raphael, Wright, Taylor
Substitutes: Savin, Sessegnon, Smith, Hungbo, McManaman, Bettoni, Costelloe, Saydee, Asamoah Jr
If you’d like, you can read the full preview of this fourth-round showdown below.
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to quote from this article is granted with proper credit to www.arsenal.com as the source.
