Arsenal might have dodged a bullet with William Saliba. According to L’Equipe, the French defender could avoid surgery on the back injury that’s been bothering him since March. That’s the good news. The better news is he somehow played through it for months, including a deep World Cup run.
Saliba was dealing with the issue long before France landed in Qatar for the 2026 tournament. He managed it well enough to become Didier Deschamps’ first-choice center-back alongside Dayot Upamecano. Started six matches. Helped France reach the semifinals. Then it all went sideways against Spain.
Thirty minutes in, Saliba went down with no contact. He signaled immediately that it was his back. He had to leave the pitch. That moment scared everyone because it looked like the injury had gotten worse. Deschamps later said Saliba had been pushing through it for months and just hit a wall.
Here’s the thing though. Medical exams showed the injury hadn’t actually gotten worse. It was the pain that finally became too much. He couldn’t continue. That’s why he also missed the third-place match against England.
From surgery fears to a rehab plan
Initial reports after the World Cup said Saliba likely needed surgery. That would have kept him out the rest of the year. But now doctors are leaning toward a non-surgical approach. The idea is a long-term rehab program instead. The final call comes after Saliba, Arsenal’s medical staff, and specialists meet early next week.
The timing matters here. Arsenal is already into preseason. They’ve got friendlies lined up against Girona, Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund, and Como. Then the Community Shield against Manchester City. Even without surgery, Saliba is expected to miss at least some of that. He needs recovery time after playing through a World Cup run on a bad back.
Arsenal hasn’t confirmed anything yet. But the shift from surgery talk to rehab talk is encouraging for a team that doesn’t want to start another season without one of its best defenders. Saliba showed serious guts playing through this thing. The question now is how long it takes to get him back on the field without making it worse.
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