Why didn’t Arsenal’s Saliba play against Norway?

France eased past Norway to top their World Cup group on Friday night, but William Saliba was unavailable for the game as he continues to manage his back injury.

France took on Norway in their World Cup group decider on Friday night, with both teams capable of finishing top with a win. Yet Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and William Saliba didn’t play a single minute of the match.

In Odegaard and Norway’s case, this was simply a case of resting their best players for the knockout stages. Norway opted not to go strong against France, with the likes of Erling Haaland also left on the bench.

Norway were happy with a second-place finish, and there was no chance of dropping into third. The lack of motivation was clear in the performance, with France winning 4-1.

As for Saliba, L’Equipe reported pre-game that the defender was rested during France’s training session on Thursday due to his ongoing back injury issue.

Guy Stephan, managing France in Didier Deschamps’ current absence, confirmed that Saliba would still be in the squad, but that he wouldn’t play in the match.

It’s clear that Saliba isn’t fully fit at the moment, and he admitted as much in a recent media interview.

“I have had small discomfort for several months. I clenched my teeth for the Premier League and the Champions League,” Saliba said.

“The staff manages me very well, the coach too. You have to grit your teeth for a World Cup, it’s every four years. I can’t say what it prevents me from doing, some would read what I say.

“I’m not 100% but that’s the case with a lot of players. We must grit our teeth, not look for excuses. The staff is managing well, I hope it will continue.”

The hope is that this doesn’t have a long-term impact, and that it doesn’t prevent Saliba from playing a full role for Arsenal next season.

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