France vs Spain FIFA World Cup: Why Did William Saliba Leave the Pitch in the 30th Minute? EXPLAINED

France vs Spain: French defender William Saliba suffered an untimely injury during the 30th minute. The Arsenal defender suffered a major lower-body injury.

Things are going downhill in the first semifinal for Les Bleus, already battered by a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal, the 2018 champion, who went down, asking to be subbed, pointing to his back. The Arsenal defender has been replaced in the squad by Maxence Lacroix, forcing head coach Didier Deschamps to reshuffle his defensive options for the crucial clash.

Saliba's latest setback is particularly concerning given his history of back problems. During the 2022-23 season, the centre-back suffered a serious back injury that kept him sidelined for 97 days. The issue forced him to miss 15 matches for both Arsenal and the French national team, disrupting his momentum at a crucial stage of the campaign. While Saliba had since re-established himself as a key figure in France's defence, his absence once again leaves Les Bleus without one of their most reliable centre-backs for a major tournament fixture.

Saliba has been integral to the French defense throughout this World Cup, but has been nursing an injury in the back for a long time. Interestingly, he missed the group-stage finale against Norway after France had already qualified, with Lacroix starting in his place alongside Dayot Upamecano.

"I've had some minor niggles for several months," Saliba said during the group stage. "I've been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff is handling it very well. The World Cup comes around only once every four years, so you've got to grit your teeth. I'm not at 100 percent, but there are plenty of players who aren't at 100 percent either. You can't make excuses," he added.

On Tuesday, though, shortly after France conceded its first goal of the knockouts - a penalty stemming from a foul by left-back Lucas Digne on Lamine Yamal - Saliba went down under no pressure or contact.

He had a word with France coach Didier Deschamps as he exited the pitch.