Saliba Faces Back Surgery Blow for Arsenal

William Saliba’s season has been ripped apart by a back injury that will force the Arsenal defender into surgery and keep him out for several months, according to reports in L'Équipe and The Athletic.

The centre-back was forced off in France’s semi-final against Spain after struggling with his back, an issue that, it now emerges, had been haunting him for some time. French journalist Julien Laurens reported that during the game Saliba admitted his back was “completely done for”, having already been playing under heavy painkillers. The warning signs were there. The damage, it seems, was already deep.

The decision has now been made: Saliba will go under the knife. Early estimates suggest a lay-off of around four to five months. For Arsenal, that is brutal news. For Saliba, it is worse.

The timeline means the 23-year-old is not expected to return to competitive action for the Gunners until 2027, ripping him out of the heart of Mikel Arteta’s plans just as Arsenal continue to chase major honours.

A defender who has become the calm at the centre of Arsenal’s storm now faces a long, lonely road back.