What Saliba said before France injury substitution

William Saliba was forced off during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain on Tuesday, as his back injury flared up once again.

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William Saliba has been dealing with a back injury throughout the World Cup and throughout most of 2026 so far, and he’s had to miss multiple training sessions with France to be ready for matches.

But the situation came to a head on Tuesday, as he was forced off in the opening half-hour of France’s eventual semi-final defeat to Spain.

Worryingly, Julien Laurens reports that Saliba was saying “my back is gone, my back is gone” as he stopped playing.

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Technically, Saliba’s World Cup isn’t yet over, as France still have the third-place play-off on Saturday. But realistically, there’s no way the Arsenal man should be involved, and ideally he’ll pull out of the camp completely to focus on his recovery.

Football insider HandofArsenal is one of a few sources to suggest that Saliba may need some sort of medical procedure to fully heal, which could put the start of his 2026/27 campaign in doubt.

It’s now just one month and one day until Arsenal play against Manchester City in the Community Shield, and in all likelihood, Saliba won’t be involved in that match.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League

Saliba previously missed around three months of football in 2022/23 with a back problem, his longest absence since joining Arsenal.

The defender made 50 appearances as Arsenal won the Premier League and reached the finals of the Champions League and League Cup this season, and the Gunners have often run into difficulties without him.

But if the defender isn’t able to stand the pain for a World Cup semi-final, there’s clearly a big issue that needs fixing, even if that requires some time out.