In his sixth appearance of this summer\u2019s tournament, Saliba went to ground against Spain in agony and was forced to come off the pitch. Les Bleus went on to lose the match 2\u20130<\/a> and then suffered a 6\u20134 defeat to England<\/a> in the third place match, all while Saliba\u2019s prognosis remained widely unconfirmed … until now.<\/p>\n \u201cSubsequent specialist reviews on William\u2019s return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation,\u201d Arsenal revealed in a club statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cExtensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery program. William\u2019s rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bad News Could Be Worse William Saliba was playing through back pain since March. | Stuart MacFarlane\/Arsenal FC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Arsenal<\/a> fans spent the last week preparing for doomsday. There was an overwhelming belief that Saliba\u2019s injury required surgery, which would keep the Frenchman sidelined for around four or five months. <\/p>\n The Gunners would then have been without their best defender until mid-December, a disaster outcome for Mikel Arteta\u2019s men, whose incredible defensive record carried the team to its first Premier League<\/a> title in 22 years last season. <\/p>\n Fortunately for Arsenal, Saliba does not have to go under the knife to get back to full health. Although the club did not specify an exact timetable for the 25-year-old\u2019s recovery, it will likely not be as long as initially feared. <\/p>\n Arsenal made sure to reiterate: \u201cEveryone is fully focused on supporting William to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Arteta Has a Range of Internal Solutions Cristhian Mosquera is likely in for heavy minutes in William Saliba\u2019s absence. | Marc Atkins\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Even though Saliba avoided surgery, he is still in for a lengthy layoff. Arteta could turn to the transfer market for a short-term fix to fill the center back\u2019s void, but he has several trusted options already in the dressing room at the Emirates. <\/p>\n Cristhian Mosquera spent time playing alongside Gabriel last season while Saliba dealt with various issues. The versatile Spaniard put together a bright debut campaign in north London, adapting fairly well to the physical nature of the Premier League. <\/p>\n Ben White, who previously played as a center back before converting to a right back, is the more experienced option for Arteta. The Englishman, though, comes with his own fitness woes; he missed the end of last season and the World Cup<\/a> with a medial knee ligament injury. <\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Piero Hincapi\u00e9 and Riccardo Calafiori as well. Both players are more than capable of filling in at center back, but they are both left-footed, like Gabriel. It wouldn\u2019t be an ideal partnership, but the options are there in case Arsenal have no choice. <\/p>\n![\"William](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01ktnz9bb5pz64b5d437.jpg\" "\\"William")
<\/p>\n![\"Cristhian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01ky5ty6dntfq5vd39mw.jpg\" "\\"Cristhian")
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