William Saliba's Injury Woes Haunt Arsenal at World Cup

Arsenal’s worst World Cup fear flickered into life in Texas, as William Saliba limped out of France’s semi-final against Spain clutching his back.

The centre-back, a cornerstone of Mikel Arteta’s defence, had to be withdrawn on the half-hour in Arlington after going down in obvious discomfort while in possession. He tried to carry on. He couldn’t. Maxence Lacroix was sent on in his place, with France already chasing the game and the mood around Les Bleus darkening.

By half-time, Spain led 1-0. The European champions had gone in front from the spot, Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converting after a chaotic moment in the French box. Lucas Digne, misjudging a high ball, swung through Lamine Yamal instead of clearing cleanly, leaving the referee with a simple decision and France with a problem they did not need.

Saliba’s injury turned that problem into something more serious.

Didier Deschamps watched his most reliable defender sink to the turf, hand on his lower back, the earlier warnings of a long-standing issue suddenly impossible to ignore. Medical staff rushed on. Lacroix, already a name on Chelsea’s radar in the transfer market, sprinted through his warm-up, knowing what was coming.

After a brief assessment on the pitch and further checks on the touchline, the verdict was clear: Saliba would not see out the 90 minutes. The Crystal Palace defender took his place, leaving France to navigate the rest of a World Cup semi-final without the man who has quietly carried a heavy load all summer.

This was not a bolt from the blue. Saliba had openly admitted during the tournament that he had been managing a back problem for months. Speaking before France’s group-stage meeting with Iraq, the 25-year-old laid bare the physical toll of a relentless season.

“I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” he told reporters on the Saturday before that game. He spoke of gritting his teeth through the Champions League and the Premier League, insisting the coaching staff were handling his workload carefully. The World Cup, he said, comes around only once every four years, and for that, you suffer and push on.

In Arlington, that calculation finally caught up with him.

For France, it meant reshuffling a defence in the heat of a semi-final. For Arsenal, watching from afar, it meant something more chilling: a key pillar of their title challenge leaving the pitch early, that familiar lower back issue again front and centre.

The World Cup will move on quickly. Arsenal’s season might not if this latest scare proves more than just a warning.