Days after celebrating Arsenal's Premier League triumph with an open-top bus parade, defender William Saliba is at risk of missing the 2026 World Cup. According to ESPN, the Frenchman has injured his back and will now undergo scans to determine the extent of the knock.
The report claims that if the injury is serious, Saliba will need a lengthy layoff to cure the problem. In that case, he could miss the World Cup set to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
The 25-year-old centre-back was part of 50 of 63 games played by Arsenal in the recently-concluded season. He helped the Gunners end their 22-year-long wait for the Premier League title and guided them to the Champions League final, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Saliba missing the World Cup will be a huge blow for France. Les Bleus are hoping to go one better than their runners-up finish at the 2022 World Cup and lift the trophy this time around. Didier Deschamps' men are also widely regarded as one of the favorites to win the tournament.
In addition to Saliba, France have called up Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix and Ibrahima Konate as the other centre-backs. Additionally, the likes of Jules Kounde and Lucas Hernandez also have experience of playing that position in the past.
Didier Deschamps dismisses injury concerns to Arsenal star Saliba ahead of World Cup
Despite the rumors surrounding Saliba's availability, France head coach Deschamps remained confident of the defender being available for selection.
The coach dismissed the reports and stated that 'everything is fine' with the Arsenal defender.
France have begun preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Les Bleus will face Senegal, Iraq and Norway in Group I. Notably, Deschamps has refused to include Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga and Juventus' Khephren Thuram in his squad for the tournament.
Teenage sensation Eli Kroupi Jr, who scored 13 goals for Bournemouth in the Premier League also misses out. Liverpool ace Hugo Ekitike is injured, while Randal Kolo Muani is also not called up.
Despite these players missing out on the plane to north America, France are still stacked with a lot of world-class talent. Their attack, in particular, has some of the best players in Europe. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Rayan Cherki, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola are all included among the forwards.