‘You have to grit your teeth’ – Arsenal’s William Saliba confirms he will play through back pain at World Cup

William Saliba (25) has confirmed that he is “not at 100%” due to an ongoing back issue, through which he has been playing for several months for Arsenal.

Prior to flying to the US, there had been fears that the Arsenal defender’s FIFA World Cup dreams could be curtailed by the issue. However, the severity of the problem has been downplayed by Didier Deschamps and France’s medical staff. It is still an issue that needs managing, however, and there is a prospect of Saliba undergoing surgery on the problem post-tournament, as revealed by L’Équipe.

Saliba also missed the first two training sessions following Les Bleus’ arrival in Boston, accentuating fears. Those were somewhat allayed when the defender started against Senegal in France’s World Cup opener.

He has, however, confirmed that he is being limited by the issue. “I won’t say what it prevents me from doing because that could then inform our opponents. But you can’t look for excuses. The staff are managing it well. I hope that will continue,” said the Arsenal defender. 

It is an issue that has also been managed by Arsenal’s medical staff, as he revealed. “I have had small niggles for several months. I gritted my teeth. There was the Premier League and the Champions League.”

And he will continue to play on through the pain for Les Bleus. “It is a World Cup. It only comes around once every four years. You have to grit your teeth. Lots of players play with niggles. Adrenaline plays a big role. I am not at 100% but that is also the case for several players,” he said.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle