Saliba Faces Back Surgery Post-World Cup

The 25-year-old center-back has been managing a persistent back issue for several weeks, which reportedly worsened after the Champions League final. Despite initial concerns about his World Cup participation, subsequent medical examinations cleared him to feature for Les Bleus. raccoongame.org

Arsenal officials were already aware they might be without the defender after the tournament, with the surgery tentatively scheduled for the end of the summer. Saliba, who made 50 appearances during Arsenal's title-winning campaign, will now focus on his second global tournament with France, opening their Group I campaign against Senegal on June 16.