​L’Equipe reports that William Saliba was absent from France’s training session on Saturday, marking yet another instance of training absences for the Arsenal defender during this World Cup campaign. The French outlet notes that Saliba has been following a modified training programme throughout the tournament in a bid to manage his ongoing back pain. Despite previous breaks from training, the centre-back has started and completed 90 minutes in five of France’s six World Cup matches so far, which suggests he should be available for the semi-final against Spain on Tuesday.
You’d hope that if France fail to reach the final, Didier Deschamps would be prudent enough to grant Saliba a rest ahead of the third-place play-off this weekend. However, if France advance to the final by beating Spain, it seems unlikely that either the player or his coach would be prepared to treat the title decider as a welcome break rather than a high-stakes match.
Saliba previously endured a roughly three-month absence from football during the 2022/23 season due to a back problem, marking his longest layoff since joining Arsenal. This season, the defender contributed 50 appearances as Arsenal clinched the Premier League title and reached the finals of the Champions League and the League Cup. The Gunners have often struggled without him, underscoring how instrumental Saliba has been to their defensive solidity.
With Saliba’s World Cup participation still under scrutiny, fans remain anxious about his ongoing involvement in the tournament and the possibility of a post-season operation. The latest reports emphasize the delicate balance between managing the defender’s back pain and maintaining peak performance for France on football’s biggest stage, as both national team priorities and club commitments intersect in the lead-up to important matches. Arsenal supporters, in particular, are watching closely to see whether Saliba’s condition will allow him to continue contributing at the World Cup and how any potential postseason procedure could affect his club duties in the upcoming months.