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Arsenal confirmed William Saliba will miss an “extended period” as he recovers from a serious back injury, but the defender does not need surgery.
Saliba, who played an integral part in the Gunners’ Premier League triumph and their run to the Champions League final last season, was nursing the back injury since March. There were reports the defender would miss the 2026 World Cup, but he played through the pain during France’s run to the final four.
In his sixth appearance of this summer’s tournament, Saliba went to ground against Spain in agony and was forced to come off the pitch. Les Bleus went on to lose the match 2–0 and then suffered a 6–4 defeat to England in the third place match, all while Saliba’s prognosis remained widely unconfirmed ... until now.
“Subsequent specialist reviews on William’s return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation,” Arsenal revealed in a club statement.
“Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery program. William’s rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.”
The Bad News Could Be Worse
Arsenal fans spent the last week preparing for doomsday. There was an overwhelming belief that Saliba’s injury required surgery, which would keep the Frenchman sidelined for around four or five months.
The Gunners would then have been without their best defender until mid-December, a disaster outcome for Mikel Arteta’s men, whose incredible defensive record carried the team to its first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
Fortunately for Arsenal, Saliba does not have to go under the knife to get back to full health. Although the club did not specify an exact timetable for the 25-year-old’s recovery, it will likely not be as long as initially feared.
Arsenal made sure to reiterate: “Everyone is fully focused on supporting William to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
Arteta Has a Range of Internal Solutions
Even though Saliba avoided surgery, he is still in for a lengthy layoff. Arteta could turn to the transfer market for a short-term fix to fill the center back’s void, but he has several trusted options already in the dressing room at the Emirates.
Cristhian Mosquera spent time playing alongside Gabriel last season while Saliba dealt with various issues. The versatile Spaniard put together a bright debut campaign in north London, adapting fairly well to the physical nature of the Premier League.
Ben White, who previously played as a center back before converting to a right back, is the more experienced option for Arteta. The Englishman, though, comes with his own fitness woes; he missed the end of last season and the World Cup with a medial knee ligament injury.
Then there’s Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori as well. Both players are more than capable of filling in at center back, but they are both left-footed, like Gabriel. It wouldn’t be an ideal partnership, but the options are there in case Arsenal have no choice.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal’s Damning William Saliba Injury Update Comes With a Silver Lining.
