Arsenal Fans Facing Anxious World Cup Watch Over Star Player’s Injury Battle

The Gunners are expected to take action later in the summer.

Mikel Arteta may be watching the World Cup through his fingers. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images

Arsenal will be forced into a decision on William Saliba’s ongoing back injury after this summer’s World Cup, a report has revealed, with a surgery that would rule him out for the start of next season a possibility.

On the eve of the tournament, it was suggested that Saliba may not be fit enough to even travel to the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, although manager Didier Deschamps soon played down those concerns and even started Saliba in Monday’s warmup friendly against Northern Ireland.

While all the signs seem positive, L’Équipe note concerns about Saliba’s long-term fitness remain, particularly from those close to the center back, who was seen grimacing during parts of team training before Monday’s game.

As it stands, and has been the case for a while now, Saliba is expected to continue to play through the injury, but a treatment plan will be needed after the World Cup. Arsenal could continue to try and take a conservative approach to the management of his injury, but the option of surgery has not yet been ruled out.

Should Saliba suffer any further damage this summer at the World Cup, his start to the new season with Arsenal could be drastically delayed.

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Saliba’s Tricky History With Back Problems

This is not Saliba’s first back problem. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

At this point, little is known about Saliba’s current ailment, but Arsenal fans will remember the back injury that struck the Frenchman down in March 2023.

Many supporters saw Saliba’s stint on the sidelines that year as the reason behind Arsenal’s slip-up in the Premier League title race. He missed a total of three months recovering from that issue.

It is not yet known whether Saliba’s current injury is related to that problem three years ago, but there are obvious concerns that this latest setback points to a long-term issue that will soon need addressing, perhaps through surgery.

If Saliba does go under the knife after the World Cup, he will almost certainly not be ready for the start of the 2026–27 season, although recovery timelines can vary wildly depending on the specifics of the injury.

Arsenal’s title defense is due to get underway on August 22, just over one month after the World Cup final on July 19. With France among the pre-tournament favorites, Saliba will be expecting a deep run this summer—perhaps until the very last day.

Surgery beyond that point could easily require months on the sidelines, meaning not only could Saliba miss the start of the season, but it is feasible to suggest he would only be fit enough to return in the later months of 2026.

Thankfully for manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal do have good depth in defense. Star center back Gabriel would likely be partnered by Cristhian Mosquera in Saliba’s absence, while Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapié and Jurriën Timber are all comfortable in central roles.

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