William Saliba targets November return as Arsenal star begins running after long back injury lay-off

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

William Saliba has begun running for the first time since sustaining the back problem that has kept him out of Arsenal's entire 2026/27 season so far, with his camp telling French outlet L'Equipe he is targeting a November comeback. The 25-year-old centre-back came back from France's World Cup campaign — where he lasted just 30 minutes of the semi-final defeat by Spain — carrying a serious back injury that had reportedly forced him to take painkillers and left him unable to move freely for 24 to 48 hours after matches. His return remains dependent on how his body responds over the coming weeks.

Saliba's entourage said: 'He's suffered too much and wants to come back at 100 per cent.'