William Saliba facing months out with 'unbearable' injury as Arsenal hit with worrying update

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17 July 2026

Centre-back has been playing through injury since March

Arsenal

and

France

centre-back

William Saliba

may be facing months on the sidelines after

Didier Deschamps

revealed the pain he has been playing through since March has become “unbearable”.

The Frenchman hobbled out of

last week’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Spain

after going down with a back injury, and he is now facing an extended spell on the sidelines in what will be a huge blow to Arsenal’s Premier League title defence.

Saliba is reportedly considering surgery on a fracture in his back, not unlike that which he sustained towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

France boss Deschamps has now revealed he has been carrying the issue since March, but pushed through the pain barrier to help

get over the line in the league and represent his nation at the

World Cup

“William Saliba got injured and it’s problematic,” he began. “He went through some examinations. The injury did not worsen. He faced that injury since March.

‘Unbearable pain’: William Saliba

AFP/Getty

“He had some pain and unfortunately the pain was not bearable.”

Reports in France suggest Saliba could be facing as much as five months on the sidelines. Such a recovery timeline could see him ruled out until December, missing huge swathes of the domestic campaign.

are yet to put a timeframe on his return.

He had complained of ‘niggles’ earlier in the tournament but at long last seems to have succumbed to his pain.

Saliba is not alone in such complaints. Several of his

team-mates - Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice included - headed into the World Cup carrying issues after a gruelling campaign saw them play some 63 matches, including two cup finals.

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William Saliba struggled with back fracture throughout the World Cup

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