William Saliba lasted just 30 minutes of France’s World Cup semi-final against Spain as the back injury that has troubled him for months finally took its toll.
Les Bleus were already trailing 1-0 after Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty, awarded for Lucas Digne’s foul on Lamine Yamal, when the Arsenal defender suddenly pulled up with the ball at his feet and collapsed to the turf. After signalling to the bench that he needed treatment, journalist Julien Laurens reports Saliba told the medical staff: “My back is gone, my back is gone.”
The 25-year-old is understood to have been managing an issue for some time, playing through the pain barrier as Arsenal chased the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final. On the eve of the World Cup there were suggestions he might have to withdraw from the France squad, yet he somehow completed 90 minutes in five of their first six matches, reportedly doing very little training between games.
Without Saliba, France, widely regarded as the outstanding team in the tournament up to that point, slumped to a disappointing defeat as Pedro Porro added a second midway through the second half to send the European champions into the final.
With the Premier League season now just five weeks away, Arsenal will surely want Saliba back in London as soon as possible for a full medical assessment, even if France are still due to contest Saturday’s third-place play-off.
Whether surgery is required remains to be seen, but if an operation is deemed necessary, it would almost certainly mean a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta will no doubt already be considering what that could mean for Arsenal’s plans in the transfer market.
If it was a painful night for Saliba, there was better news for Arsenal’s Spanish contingent. Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi are through to the World Cup final, although only Merino has featured prominently. The midfielder’s performances, including late winners in successive knockout rounds, have rightly earned plenty of praise. They now await either England or Argentina and, if it’s the Three Lions who progress, Arsenal could have as many as seven representatives in Sunday’s final.