Arsenal to Evaluate William Saliba’s Back Injury Following World Cup Duties
Arsenal will assess William Saliba’s back injury when he reports back to the club after his commitments in the World Cup. The France centre-back has struggled with a back issue for several weeks, bringing the problem into the tournament.
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The injury appeared to worsen during France’s semi-final loss to Spain, where he was substituted after just 30 minutes.
Surgery is one of the options that Arsenal’s medical team will consider when he returns to London, although an operation could result in a lengthy recovery period.
The 25-year-old made 50 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal last season, helping the team end a 22-year wait for a Premier League title and reach the Champions League final.
Earlier in the tournament, Saliba stated, “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months. I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.”
He missed France’s final group game against Norway before returning to Didier Deschamps’ side for the knockout phase.
France is set to face England in the third-place play-off on Saturday at 22:00 BST.
