Saliba Injury Scare in World Cup Semi-Final Rocks France and Arsenal

William Saliba’s World Cup has been played on the edge of a fault line. In Arlington, Texas, it finally cracked.

The Arsenal defender, who has carried a back problem through the tournament, limped out of France’s semi-final against Spain on the half-hour, clutching his lower back and leaving both his country and his club with a serious concern.

France were already 1-0 down when the alarm bells rang. Mikel Oyarzabal had put the European champions in front from the penalty spot, punishing a rash challenge from Lucas Digne, who swung through Lamine Yamal in the box after misjudging a high ball. It was clumsy, it was costly, and it set the tone for a fraught first half for Didier Deschamps.

Then came the moment that changed the mood entirely.

Saliba, in possession and under no obvious pressure, suddenly went down. No collision, no dramatic tangle – just a grimace, a hand to his lower back and the immediate sense that something was badly wrong. He stayed down long enough for the French bench to react with urgency.

Maxence Lacroix, the Wolfsburg centre-back and a transfer target for Chelsea, was sent to warm up at full tilt, Deschamps and his staff watching Saliba’s every movement as the medical team worked. The verdict did not take long. After assessment on the pitch and on the sideline, it was clear the Arsenal man would not be able to see out the 90 minutes.

Lacroix came on to replace him, the Crystal Palace defender stepping into a World Cup semi-final under the harshest of spotlights, while Saliba disappeared down the tunnel, his night – and perhaps his summer – cut short.

This was not a bolt from the blue. Saliba had already admitted he was managing an ongoing back issue throughout the tournament. Speaking before France’s group game against Iraq, the 25-year-old laid bare the physical toll of a relentless season.

“I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” he told reporters on Saturday. “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.”

Those words now hang heavy. Arsenal have ridden his durability for two seasons, building their defensive structure around him. France, too, have leaned on his resilience in the biggest of arenas this summer.

In Texas, the body finally pushed back.

As France chased the game against Spain without their defensive lynchpin, thoughts in North London will already be turning to scans, timelines and worst-case scenarios. For Deschamps, the immediate task is survival in a World Cup semi-final. For Arsenal, the question is more stark: how much has that determination to “grit your teeth” cost them before a new season has even begun?