Arsenal's Saliba facing surgery as Guimaraes pursuit hit by Yorke's brutal verdict

William Saliba limped off the pitch during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain after just 30 minutes, and now Arsenal face the prospect of losing their defensive cornerstone for up to four months. The 25-year-old centre-back, whose partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes underpinned Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 years, has admitted he has been “gritting my teeth” through a long-standing back problem. “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” Saliba said earlier in the tournament. “I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.” Sources in France claim he could be out for four months, with surgery among the options the club’s medical team will consider when he returns to London. If Saliba is ruled out, Mikel Arteta can call on Ben White (returning from knee surgery), Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera – though Arsenal have also been pursuing a midfield reinforcement in Bruno Guimaraes. The Newcastle United midfielder, 29, has made it clear he wants to join the champions and has reportedly agreed a five-year deal, but the Magpies rejected Arsenal’s initial £55 million bid. Guimaraes’s World Cup performances have drawn criticism from former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, who told Boyle Sports: “I don’t know about Bruno Guimaraes. I’m not sure he has been that impressive… The World Cup was an opportunity for him to tell the world there’s a reason why a team like Manchester United are going to be after me, and he’s come up short, in my opinion.” Yorke added that while Guimaraes has a “good work ethic”, he does not see “that quality from him” to elevate a title-chasing side. Arsenal still have eight players involved in the World Cup final weekend – David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi face Argentina in the final, while Noni Madueke, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze contest the bronze match against France. With the new Premier League season just over a month away, Arteta must navigate a recovery schedule that could shape his transfer strategy.