France Rocked by Major Injury Early in World Cup Semifinal vs. Spain

The first half did not go France’s way against Spain in Atlanta.

William Saliba (center) didn’t finish the first half. | Ryan Pierse /FIFA/Getty Images

France suffered two setbacks in the opening half-hour of Tuesday’s semifinal against Spain.

The pain of Mikel Oyarzabal’s converted penalty was still fresh when William Saliba sunk to the turf in the 29th minute. France’s first-choice center back received only fleeting medical treatment before trudging off the pitch in defeat.

Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix was swiftly summoned off the bench. While the towering 26-year-old is a capable Premier League defender—and a freshly crowned European champion (of the Conference League)—Saliba’s withdrawal was a major blow for Didier Deschamps’s side.

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William Saliba’s Injury Blow Has Been Coming

William Saliba has been playing through the pain barrier all summer. | Tom Weller/picture alliance/Getty Images

Saliba was an injury doubt before the tournament had even begun. The Arsenal star aggravated an existing back issue during the Champions League final, prompting reports that he could miss the tournament entirely.

Deschamps was quick to dismiss those claims but Saliba’s entire summer has been dictated by managing this nagging issue.

“I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” Saliba revealed during the group stage. “I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well.

“The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth. I’m not at 100%, but there are plenty of players who aren’t at 100% either. You can’t make excuses.”

Despite these ongoing issues, Saliba played every minute of consequence for France up until the semifinal, only sitting out the group stage finale with Norway once qualification had already been secured.

However, in the days leading up to the semifinal with Spain, Saliba missed a France training session. Intriguingly, his regular center back partner Dayot Upamecano was also absent for that preparation. Fortunately for Deschamps, the Bayern Munich man didn’t appear to be playing with any impairment.

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What Saliba Injury Could Mean for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta will be anxiously watching the World Cup. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

As important as Saliba is for France, he is vastly more influential at Arsenal. The defensive totem scarcely misses a minute for Mikel Arteta, who values his center back leader so much that he is willing to play him even when half-fit.

There is the real risk that Saliba could be sidelined for the start of the new club season. Several French media outlets have speculated about the prospect of surgery once the World Cup has concluded, which would surely limit the 25-year-old’s involvement for Arsenal in August.

Arteta does have some defensive depth to work with. Cristhian Mosquera served as an able, if slightly skittish, deputy for Saliba at points last term and will only have improved after a full season of English soccer under his belt. Piero Hincapié, Ben White and Christian Nørgaard can also operate in the middle of defense, but none of them offer the same unique qualities as Saliba.

For all his individual brilliance, the calming presence makes his teammates better. For all Deschamps’s frustrations on Tuesday, Arteta will have been even more concerned.

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