France centre-half William Saliba said Saturday he has been “gritting his teeth” and playing through the pain at the World Cup after suffering from a back problem for the past few months.
The defender was a key figure in helping his club Arsenal secure their first Premier League title in 22 years last season, but told reporters that he is not operating at “100 percent” in North America as he bids to help France win a third World Cup.
“I’ve had some minor niggles for several months. 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,” Saliba said at a press conference ahead of his country’s upcoming Group I match against Iraq.
“The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.” Related News Doku ruled out of Belgium’s World Cup match against Iran World Cup: Netherlands thump Sweden 5-1 in Houston Real Madrid denies interest in Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise
“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.
