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France were dealt two blows within the opening thirty minutes of Tuesday's semifinal clash against Spain.
The sting of Mikel Oyarzabal's spot-kick conversion had barely subsided when William Saliba collapsed to the ground in the 29th minute. France's preferred center back received only brief medical attention before limping off the field in disappointment.
Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix was quickly called into action from the substitutes' bench. Although the imposing 26-year-old is a reliable Premier League defender—and a newly minted European champion (courtesy of the Conference League)—Saliba's exit represented a significant setback for Didier Deschamps's squad.
William Saliba's Injury Blow Has Been Coming
Saliba had been carrying an injury concern even before the tournament kicked off. The Arsenal defender aggravated a pre-existing back problem during the Champions League final, sparking speculation that he might miss the competition altogether.
Deschamps was eager to play down those concerns, yet Saliba's entire summer has revolved around carefully managing this persistent complaint.
"I've had some minor niggles for several months," Saliba admitted during the group stage. "I've been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well.
"The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you've got to grit your teeth. I'm not at 100%, but there are plenty of players who aren't at 100% either. You can't make excuses."
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Despite these persistent concerns, Saliba featured for the full duration of every meaningful match for France heading into the semifinal, only being rested for the final group stage game against Norway once their progression had already been confirmed.
However, in the buildup to the semifinal against Spain, Saliba was absent from a France training session. Notably, his usual center back partner Dayot Upamecano was also missing from that session. Fortunately for Deschamps, the Bayern Munich defender showed no visible signs of any physical limitation during the match.