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When is William Saliba back? Projected return date for Arsenal defender after surgery for back injury originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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After winning the Premier League title last season, Arsenal are on the hunt for bigger and better in the 2026/27 campaign, as the Gunners get ready to run it back.
The English top flight championship was special, as Arsenal won their first league title since the Invincibles in 2004. Yet they fell in the Champions League final, and are still looking for their first-ever continental trophy. They got the season started off in a big way as they defeated Manchester City by a 3-0 score in the Community Shield, which signaled the start of the new club campaign.
As they get set to start the new season, there are some injuries to contend with stemming not only from the World Cup over the summer, but going back to last season during the title charge.
The Sporting News brings you a look at the situation for one of Arsenal's most important players, as centre-back William Saliba was a rock along the back line last year and considered one of the best defenders in the world.
MORE: A look back at Arsenal's preseason slate as they prepared for the 2026/27 season
What is William Saliba's injury?
During the World Cup, William Saliba aggravated a pre-existing back injury while playing for France during the semifinal against Spain.
In the first half of the match, Saliba was sat on the ground and required treatment, and lip-readers could see him say "my back is gone" to his teammates.
Reports claimed that Saliba had been playing through the injury across the second half of the club season, gutting through discomfort across the final portion of the Premier League season and the run to the Champions League final.
It's not known the specifics of the injury, which could be a multitude of things. It could be a fracture, a slipped disc, a nerve issue, or a number of other possible back injuries, with no reporting done on the specific nature of the problem.
"I've had some minor niggles for several months," Saliba said during the World Cup before aggravating the injury in the semifinals.
"I've been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. The World Cup comes around only once every four years, so you've got to grit your teeth. I'm not at 100%, but there are plenty of players who aren't at 100% either. You can't make excuses."
When is William Saliba back?
There is currently no known return date for Saliba as he recovers from his back injury.
The Sporting News reported back in July that William Saliba could be out for up to five months as he weighed possible surgery, but because he opted not to go that route, the Frenchman could possibly return sooner.
As of now, Mikel Arteta could only confirm that Saliba would be out at least until the September international break , which means he will not return until at least October, but it also could be a longer absence.
How will Arsenal line up without William Saliba?
So far through the middle of August, Arsenal have not dipped into the transfer market to replace Saliba and cover his absence.
Instead, Mikel Arteta will lean on the duo of backup central defenders in the squad, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera, both of whom secured significant minutes last season and performed well.
Mosquera started on the right of the defensive duo in the Community Shield victory over Man City on August 16, and should have the inside track to the spot given he is a right-sided defender, whereas Hincapie is left-sided.
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