Arsenal news: How long William Saliba will miss 'revealed' after France injury creates Premier League worry for Mikel Arteta

Arsenal defender William Saliba needs surgery and will miss four to five months of action, the newest report has claimed.

France were beaten 2-0 by Spain in the World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, and they were comprehensively outplayed for almost the entire match.

Les Bleus were not helped by the injury that centre-back Saliba suffered in the 30th minute, with the 25-year-old complaining about a back issue.

The Arsenal defender was reportedly dealing with the same injury prior to the end of the 2025-26 Premier League season, but he delayed treatment in order to play at the World Cup.

French outlet L’Equipe now report that Saliba will need surgery on his back, and he is set to miss four to five months of action.

Premier League title race: Mikel Arteta and Arsenal at risk?

The absence of Saliba is a sizeable one, as while his skillset with the ball will be a significant loss, his injury could also expose the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes out of possession.

Gabriel has shown that he can be prone to errors when asked to take up more responsibility on the pitch without Saliba, and it would not be surprising to see Mikel Arteta's side suffer avoidable defeats.

The Gunners won the title last term thanks to their defensive solidity, but if they were to become less resilient at the back, their bluntness up front could be detrimental to their hopes of retaining their crown.

Arsenal transfer news: Will Mikel Arteta look for William Saliba replacement?

Arsenal still have a number of players that could play in place of Saliba, with Ben White, Piero Hincapie, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori all options for Arteta to choose from at the back.

However, none of Saliba's potential replacements are as good as the Frenchman on the ball, nor are they as composed when defending the channels, so it would be understandable if the club looked at strengthening their defence.

One potential stumbling block for Arsenal in any possible pursuit of a centre-back could be finances considering they are likely to spend significant sums elsewhere.

Morgan Rogers may cost in the region of £130m if reports are to be believed, while alternative Bradley Barcola would likely command a figure in excess of £100m.

Arteta could face the prospect of having to get by until the start of 2027 without Saliba, and that might prove fatal to their hopes of retaining their title.