There was a collective groan heard from North London to the Lusail Stadium tonight. William Saliba, the young French centre half who has become the be...
There was a collective groan heard from North London to the Lusail Stadium tonight. William Saliba, the young French centre half who has become the bedrock of Mikel Arteta's defensive setup, hobbled off the pitch in the first half of this World Cup semi final against Spain. It was a sudden, worrying twist. One moment he was tracking a runner, the next he was signalling to the bench, a hand pressed to his lower back. He couldn't shake it off. He couldn't run through it. Maxence Lacroix has come on in his place, but make no mistake, this is a major worry for Arsenal.Let's be clear about what this means. Saliba hasn't just been good this season; he has been a colossus. His partnership with Gabriel has given Arsenal a defensive solidity that was frankly laughable under previous regimes. He brings composure on the ball, a physicality in duels, and a reading of the game that belies his years. When he went down, it wasn't a twisted ankle or a knock to the knee. A back problem is a different beast entirely. It's the kind of thing that can linger, that can tighten up on the flight home, that can turn a two week lay off into a major absentee for the run in. Arteta will be chewing his nails to the quick watching this one.The timing is utterly grim. Arsenal are in the middle of a Premier League title race that requires every single one of their key players to be firing on all cylinders. They face a gruelling run of fixtures after the international break, and losing your number one centre half, the man who organises the low block and starts the transitional play from the back, could be a hammer blow. GoalZaza understands that early signs are not catastrophic, but with back injuries, the severity often reveals itself only after the swelling and stiffness set in. For now, the Arsenal faithful can only hope it's a precautionary withdrawal. But if that back locks up fully, Mikel Arteta has a very big problem on his hands. And a very thin squad to solve it.
