Mikel Arteta has confirmed that William Saliba is ready to make his return to the Arsenal team ahead of his side's Champions League clash with Slavia Prague on Wednesday.

The defender has not played a single minute of football this season after suffering a back injury while playing for France at the World Cup.

His absence mattered little on Sunday, when the Gunners emerged as 1-0 winners against Liverpool to move to first in the Premier League.

That win was a major boost for the Londoners, and Arteta has fuelled optimism amongst the fanbase by confirming that Saliba is ready to return, telling reporters: "His evolution has been as expected, which is not always the case. He feels really comfortable. He played 45 minutes behind closed doors last week.

"He feels ready to go. Whether we use him or not now is a matter of what the team needs. Now you're in or not. Now he's in. He's in like anybody else. All the preparation has been done to make sure all the load and all the steps have been done to minimise the risk.

"He's in a really good place, he's built the capacity that we needed. Now it's about giving him minutes. He's a centre-back. When that's the case, it's not like an attacking midfielder or a number nine you can change. A centre-back normally has to be able to play 90 minutes."

Arsenal have won 11 of their 14 matches this season without the centre-back, but there is no doubt that his availability will strengthen the squad.

William Saliba injury latest: When will Arsenal defender return?

Arsenal are unlikely to start Saliba against Slavia Prague in the Champions League, though a more realistic target would be Hull City on Saturday in the Premier League.

Even if the Frenchman is unable to start either game, the November international break after the coming weekend will give him another two weeks to be ready to face Newcastle United on November 21.

Perhaps the most significant impact of Saliba's return is the fact he will be ready to face Manchester City on November 29 given that clash could be determinative in the race for the title.

While the 25-year-old's return is highly anticipated, it is important to remember that he has not played any professional game since the middle of July, so it would be understandable if he took time to get back to his best.

Why Mikel Arteta, Gabriel Magalhaes and Arsenal deserve praise

The fact that Arsenal are in a position to fight for the title as leaders after nine matchweeks should be seen as an extraordinary achievement by Arteta considering he has have been without Saliba for the entire season.

Having only conceded five goals in the Premier League so far, newcomer Ezri Konsa deserves immense credit for filling in at the back.

However, perhaps stalwart Gabriel Magalhaes's performances have gone under the radar, with the Brazilian leading the Gunners' defence to eight clean sheets in their 14 games this campaign.