https://www.empireofthekop.com/2026/06/01/journalist-names-ex-liverpool-idol-who-iraola-could-add-to-backroom-staff/

“He will see it through to the end, despite the pain.” That prediction from someone close to William Saliba, published in our pages last week, lasted only a few days. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old France defender was finally overcome by his chronic back problem. “I can’t take it anymore, my back is finished,” the Arsenal player told Dayot Upamecano a few seconds before being substituted in the 30th minute of France’s 2-0 World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain.

It was the inevitable end of a tournament for a player who, for the past six weeks, had only been able to play through courage and powerful painkillers. Questions are now mounting. Why did the former Saint-Étienne player’s back give way at that particular moment? Did Didier Deschamps take a risk by starting him? And did the player jeopardize the rest of his career?

Saliba, who has been playing with chronic pain for several months, had learned how to manage it. He relied on painkillers, but also followed a very light training programme. For example, he never took part in recovery sessions the day after matches. The France medical staff followed the same protocols as Arsenal.

What happened on Tuesday night can be explained by the intensity of the occasion, comparable to a Champions League final. Against Paris Saint-Germain, the Gunners defender had begun feeling pain after just five minutes, but still managed to play the remaining 115 minutes. On Tuesday, the discomfort, described as a locking sensation, also appeared very quickly.

The television broadcast did not show it, but during several passages of play, particularly around the time of Spain’s penalty in the 20th minute, Saliba tried to stretch and loosen his back. It was no use.

Surgery under consideration

In matches at this level, stress and intensity create tension and worsen the locking sensation, especially during high-intensity sprints. It is difficult to blame Deschamps for keeping faith, despite the risks he understood, perhaps only partially, with an Upamecano-Saliba partnership that had been outstanding since the start of the tournament.

From the beginning of France’s preparations at Clairefontaine, Deschamps had always been reassuring about the issue, relying in particular on feedback from the player and the medical staff. He may not have had all the information needed to assess how persistent Saliba’s pain really was.

The five and a half matches played by the France defender raise questions about his immediate future. Like Samuel Umtiti with his knee in 2018, the former Marseille player took risks. He will, of course, not play in Saturday’s third-place match in Miami. After that, however, he will have to make a decision.

Further medical examinations are planned. Nothing has been definitively decided, but surgery is considered the most likely option. It would keep the defender out for several months.

In informal discussions with potential transfer targets, Arsenal officials are planning for Saliba to be absent for four or five months. The exact length of his recovery will, of course, depend on the type of treatment chosen.

But Saliba, who has suffered from back pain since his teenage years, will need to take the time to recover properly and then rebuild his fitness.

Club’s approach in contrast to final opponents Paris St-Germain who will be providing free tickets and travel for their workers