Nicolas Jackson Hits Post in 0-0 Senegal Clash With France at 2026 World Cup

Q: Could William Saliba's lingering injury jeopardize France's World Cup campaign and Arsenal's entire upcoming season?

Saliba’s injury looks more like a manageable risk for France than a potentially major problem for Arsenal. For France, the evidence so far is reassuring. Didier Deschamps cleared Saliba to start the World Cup opener against Senegal, and France have been managing his minutes rather than ruling him out. That suggests the staff believe he can contribute, even if not at full capacity. France also have strong cover at centre-back in Ibrahima Konaté and Dayot Upamecano, so Saliba’s absence from part of the tournament would hurt but would not necessarily derail the campaign. The bigger concern is what happens after the World Cup. Reports around the squad indicate Saliba has been playing through a back problem sustained two months ago and aggravated in Arsenal’s Champions League defeat on May 30. The injury is being “managed,” and there is growing expectation he could need surgery once France’s tournament ends. That is where Arsenal’s risk becomes serious. If surgery is required late in the summer, Saliba could miss the start of the 2026-27 season and possibly more than that. Given his importance to Mikel Arteta’s side and his history of a previous back issue disrupting Arsenal’s title push in 2023, any extended layoff would be a major blow. So the short answer is that France can probably absorb the issue if carefully managed, but Arsenal may face the more damaging consequences if the problem lingers and surgery follows.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 16

25 minutes in, Nicolas Jackson came closest to a breakthrough, racing onto El Hadji Malick Diouf’s pass and smashing a low shot against the post after Mike Maignan got a touch.
0-0 late in the first half, Senegal looked the sharper side on the break while France’s attack struggled to click despite Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele leading the line.
28 minutes brought a hydration break at MetLife Stadium, where the game was played at a strong tempo in the heat before settling into a lull after Jackson’s chance.
42 minutes saw Ismaila Sarr go down after a challenge from William Saliba, but play continued and Senegal were not awarded a free kick, adding to a frustrating half for both sides.