William Saliba's Injury in World Cup Semi-Final Sparks Concern for Arsenal
Arsenal’s worst World Cup fear flickered into life in Arlington, Texas, as William Saliba limped out of France’s semi-final against Spain clutching his lower back.
The centre-back, so central to both club and country, lasted barely half an hour before his night – and perhaps his summer – was cut short.
Saliba’s night unravels
France were already chasing the game when the alarm bells began to ring. Mikel Oyarzabal had put Spain in front from the spot, punishing a rash challenge from Lucas Digne, who swung and missed the ball but caught Lamine Yamal in the box after misjudging a high delivery.
Les Bleus went in 1-0 down at the interval. The scoreline was worrying enough. The sight of Saliba on the turf was far worse.
On the half-hour, with no opponent near him, the Arsenal defender went down while in possession, immediately reaching for his lower back. The reaction told its own story. No theatrics, no time-wasting – just a player who knew something was wrong.
Didier Deschamps and his staff moved quickly. Maxence Lacroix, already strongly linked with Chelsea, was sent to warm up at full tilt on the touchline, the instruction from the bench clear and urgent.
After a brief on-pitch assessment, the decision came: Saliba could not continue. He was withdrawn and replaced by the Crystal Palace defender, leaving France to chase the game without their defensive pillar and Arsenal to watch on with growing concern.
A problem that never really went away
This was not a bolt from the blue. Saliba had already admitted he had been managing a back issue throughout the tournament, playing through pain to stay on the pitch for both club and country.
“I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” the 25-year-old said before France’s group game against Iraq, explaining that he had pushed himself through the run-in with Arsenal. “I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well. The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.”
That resolve carried him into the semi-final. It could not carry him out of it.
For Deschamps, losing his first-choice centre-back in the biggest game of the tournament so far is a brutal twist. For Arsenal, watching a key figure hobble away from the pitch with a long-standing issue flaring up again, it is a chilling reminder of how fragile a season’s foundations can be.
