William Saliba Faces Major Setback with Back Surgery

William Saliba faces a brutal setback. The Arsenal defender is set to undergo back surgery, a development first reported by L'Équipe and The Athletic, and one that could reshape both his season and his club’s defensive plans.

The alarm bells started ringing in France’s semi-final against Spain, when Saliba was forced off with back problems. It wasn’t a precaution. It was the culmination of an ordeal he had been carrying in silence.

French journalist Julien Laurens reported that, during the injury episode, Saliba admitted his back was “completely done for.” Before that, he had reportedly been playing through the pain with the help of strong painkillers, pushing his body to stay on the pitch for club and country.

This time, there is no playing through it.

The decision for surgery is significant and unforgiving. The procedure is expected to rule him out for around four to five months. On that timeline, Arsenal are unlikely to see him in competitive action again before 2027.

For a defender who has become central to Mikel Arteta’s system, it is a hammer blow. For Saliba, still in the prime building years of his career, it is something even harsher: a race to come back not just fit, but at the same towering level that made him indispensable.