Arsenal and France defender William Saliba is facing a lengthy spell away from football after France manager Didier Deschamps disclosed that the centre-back has been enduring severe pain since March, which has now become “unbearable”.

The 23-year-old limped off during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain last week after aggravating a back problem. The setback is expected to sideline him for several months, dealing a major blow to Arsenal’s Premier League title defence.

Reports indicate that Saliba is weighing up the possibility of undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his back — a similar injury to the one he suffered towards the end of the 2022/23 season.

Deschamps revealed that Saliba has been coping with the issue for months but continued to play through the pain to help Arsenal in their title race and to represent France at the World Cup.

“William Saliba got injured and it’s problematic,” Deschamps said. “He went through some examinations. The injury did not worsen. He faced that injury since March.”

He added, “He had some pain and unfortunately the pain was not bearable.”

French media have reported that Saliba could be out for up to five months. If confirmed, this would rule him out until December, causing him to miss a significant portion of the domestic season. Arsenal have yet to release an official timeline for his recovery.

The defender had earlier spoken of minor discomfort during the tournament but has now seemingly succumbed to the persistent pain.

Saliba is not the only Arsenal player to have struggled with physical issues following a demanding campaign. Teammates Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice also entered the World Cup carrying knocks after a gruelling season that included around 63 matches and two cup finals.