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  "path": "/2026/06/01/arsenal-star-emerges-doubt-world-cup-aggravating-injury-champions-league-final-28602262/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-01T11:05:46.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "France football team",
    "William Saliba",
    "World Cup",
    "Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain",
    "Budapest",
    "the Gunners triumphed – after three successive runners-up finishes – in the Premier League",
    "Luis Enrique’s men prevailing via a nail-biting penalty shootout",
    "Foot Mercato",
    "centre-back joining the rest of his team-mates for the club’s open-top bus parade",
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    "Saliba revealed last week",
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  "textContent": "Arsenal defender William Saliba is in a ‘race against time’ ahead of this summer’s World Cup (Picture: Getty)\n\nWilliam Saliba is reportedly a doubt for France’s World Cup campaign after aggravating a pre-existing injury in Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.\n\nThe 25-year-old enjoyed another outstanding season for Arsenal both domestically and in Europe, and played the entirety of Saturday’s spectacle at Budapest’s Puskas Arena.\n\nThere had been jubilant scenes just a week-and-a-half earlier as the Gunners triumphed – after three successive runners-up finishes – in the Premier League, but it wasn’t to be for Saliba abd Co against PSG, with Luis Enrique’s men prevailing via a nail-biting penalty shootout.\n\nAnd according to French publication Foot Mercato, there could be further frustration and heartache for Saliba, despite the centre-back joining the rest of his team-mates for the club’s open-top bus parade on Sunday.\n\n##  The countdown is on\n\nOur seven-day guide to the World Cup is live. 48 teams, 104 games, 1104 players – we've got everything you need to know. Sign up now.\n\nIt’s claimed Saliba exacerbated a pre-existing injury during the final and is in a ‘race against time’ to prove his fitness to France head coach Didier Deschamps.\n\nThe report adds that Saliba ‘could be out for several weeks’, therefore ‘jeopardising his participation’ for this summer’s World Cup, with Les Bleus kicking off against Senegal in just over a fortnight’s time.\n\nFrance return to action against Iraq six days later, before wrapping up their Group I campaign versus Norway on June 26.\n\nSaliba played the entirety of Arsenal’s loss in Hungary (Picture: Getty)\n\nThe central defender has been capped 31 times at international level (Picture: Getty)\n\nSaliba was sidelined with an ankle problem at the start of March, which meant he missed Arsenal’s clashes with Brighton and Mansfield in the Premier League and FA Cup respectively.\n\nThe defender then returned for Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 first leg with Bayer Leverkusen, only to feel discomfort in his left ankle again – forcing him to miss France’s friendlies with Brazil and Colombia.\n\nThis summer, Saliba is hoping to make his second appearance at a World Cup having featured just once in Qatar when France suffered a shock group-stage defeat at the hands of Tunisia.\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nHe played a starring role two years later at Euro 2024 and was named in the official Team of the Tournament.\n\nThe former Saint-Etienne centre-half has been capped 31 times by his country.\n\nSaliba appears a shoo-in to be named in the PFA Team of the Year for a fourth season in a row having starred alongside Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s defence this term.\n\nSaliba was in attendance at Arsenal’s open-top bus parade on Sunday (Picture: Getty)\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nThe France international played a total of 52 games in all competitions for the Gunners, including 36 appearances in the league as the north Londoners ended their 22-year wait to be crowned English champions.\n\n‘I started to feel we could do it in March,’ Saliba revealed last week.\n\n‘After the game against Everton, it was clear to me that we would win the league.\n\n‘It was a hard game, and we knew that we would not play in the Premier League until after the international break, so that win was so important.\n\n‘It was a tough game, and afterwards, City dropped points against West Ham, so it was a good day for us.\n\n‘When we came back from the national team, it was a bit hard. But we kept going, we believed in ourselves, even after the loss against City. And now we are champions.’\n\n**For more stories like this, check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook,** Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Arsenal star emerges as doubt for World Cup after aggravating injury in Champions League final"
}