Arsenal have confirmed that defender William Saliba faces an extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining a back injury during France's World Cup campaign.

The 25-year-old had been carrying the problem for several weeks before the tournament began, pushing through the pain to feature in France's run to the semi-finals. He was substituted after just 30 minutes of France's semi-final defeat to Spain as the injury worsened.

Surgery ruled out, recovery programme to begin

Following his return to London, Saliba was assessed by a specialist. The medical team determined that surgery is not required, and the centre-back will instead follow a managed recovery programme.

The injury kept Saliba out of France's bronze medal match, which they lost to England, meaning his tournament ended prematurely.

Saliba spoke of playing through the pain

Earlier in the World Cup, the defender had been candid about the challenges of playing with the injury.