William Saliba is reportedly expected to undergo surgery on a back problem following the Arsenal defender’s injury at the World Cup
William Saliba is set to miss four to five months of action, according to claims from France. L’Equipe suggests that back surgery, required to fix a problem that the Arsenal defender has been dealing with all tournament, is the likely course of action and could see him miss the first half of the campaign.
Saliba was a bedrock of the Arsenal defence last season, partnering with Gabriel Magalhaes to give the club the foundations of their Premier League title-winning campaign.
Saliba played in 31 of the 37 matches before Arsenal were crowned champions. Of the six he missed, Arsenal won three, drew two and lost one – just a 50% win rate.
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He also came off early in the game against Liverpool after just five minutes, a match the Gunners would go on to lose. There is no doubt that the absence of Saliba on this current Arsenal squad has a massive impact.
If it is assumed he will miss the next five months, as French reports claim, the top end of the estimated recovery period from a surgery that could yet take some time before it goes ahead, it could be that Saliba missed all of August, September, October, November and December.
In which case, he will miss 18 Premier League matches, including the trips to Anfield and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from the Big Six. But also tricky away tests such as Aston Villa, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Brentford, and Crystal Palace.
He will also be unavailable for six of the eight Champions League league-phase matches, with two set to be played in January, which he could return for. He will also miss every single Carabao Cup match scheduled for 2026.
This covers the third round, fourth round and quarter-finals if Arsenal make it. The semi-final legs will be played on the weeks commencing January 11 and February 1.
This has put extra emphasis on Arsenal’s recruitment for the summer, with sporting director Andrea Berta now charged with finding adequate cover. Cristhian Mosquera is now the club’s only senior natural right-sided centre half. With cover from traditional right-backs Ben White and Jurrien Timber, who also face fitness concerns themselves.
