France have suffered a significant setback in their World Cup title campaign after William Saliba left the pitch with a suspected muscle injury.

The influential defender went down without contact while in possession of the ball. He appeared clearly dejected, and it quickly became evident that the Arsenal star could not continue in the match.

After stretching out his leg, medical staff treated him on the field before he was substituted. He managed to walk off the pitch without assistance.

Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix replaced the 25-year-old for his second appearance of the tournament.

“That may be the end to William Saliba’s World Cup,” said former England forward Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He wasn’t under great pressure. He turned around and sat on the deck.”

Saliba has played every minute of this World Cup except for the 4-1 victory over Norway in Group I, where manager Didier Deschamps rested several key players following their qualification.

His removal creates an untimely complication for Les Bleus, who were already trailing when the injury occurred.

They fell behind in the 22nd minute when Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal inside the box. Although players questioned whether Yamal handled the ball during the move, the VAR team did not intervene.

Mikel Oyarzabal converted the resulting penalty, striking the ball into the net past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

If France stage a comeback, they face an anxious wait to determine if Saliba will be fit for the World Cup final in New Jersey on 19 July, where they would meet either England or Argentina.

Arsenal will also monitor the situation closely, fearing a long-term issue for a player whose 2025/26 campaign was already disrupted by fitness problems that saw him miss 12 matches for his club and country.

Arsenal begin their domestic season with a Community Shield match against Manchester City on 16 August, followed by a Premier League opener against newly-promoted Coventry five days later.