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Arsenal star William Saliba facing 5 months out

By on July 16, 2026

Arsenal have suffered a huge injury blow, with French outlet L’Équipe claiming that William Saliba is set to remain sidelined for an extended period.

The Gunners bought the 25-year-old from Saint-Étienne back in 2029. However, he initially struggled to break into Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up.

As a result, he went out on loan on several occasions to play regularly and develop his career. Since making his debut for Arsenal back in 2022, he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world.

Saliba continued to showcase his qualities last campaign, making two goal contributions and keeping 24 clean sheets in 50 appearances across all competitions.

Moreover, he helped his side win the Premier League title. Having proven his worth in club football, Saliba secured his place in France’s World Cup squad, helping his side reach the semi-final before losing to Spain.

The centre-back picked up a back injury early in the game against the European champions and was forced off. Now, reliable French outlet L’Equipe report that Saliba played through the pain barrier for France following a grueling campaign.

So, he has sustained a serious back problem and is set to undergo surgery to recover properly. As a result, Saliba could be out for around five months, and Arsenal will be without their key man for the first half of next season.

Saliba suffers injury

Apart from the 25-year-old, Arsenal currently have Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber, and Ben White as options to deploy in the right centre-back position.

However, White has been struggling with fitness problems over the last few months, and Mosquera is still very young and needs time to develop.

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt picked up a similar injury and couldn’t feature for the second half of last campaign. So, Arsenal would be better off signing a new defender in this window.

Despite winning the Premier League title last term, the Gunners are said to be keen on strengthening several areas of the squad this summer to continue challenging on all fronts next season.

They reportedly want a new left-winger, striker, and midfielder. Now, they might have to go for a new centre-back to replace Saliba.