Overview
- William Saliba has acknowledged he has had a months‑long back problem and is “not at 100 percent” but has been continuing to play for France.
- The centre‑back started and completed France’s 3-1 opening win over Senegal and is expected to start the next group match against Iraq.
- Saliba has been following a personalised training programme with national-team staff to manage his condition during the World Cup.
- Arsenal and France medical teams are prioritising match availability and minute management, with the club postponing any talk of surgery until the tournament ends.
- His situation highlights the strain of a season that included a Premier League title and Champions League run and raises questions about post‑World Cup recovery for him and other heavily used players.