William Saliba is doing what elite defenders do: shutting up and getting on with it. The Arsenal centre-back aggravated a pre-existing back injury during Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain on May 28, and rather than withdrawing from France’s World Cup squad, he’s training through the discomfort without fanfare.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the internet that never misses a narrative, a Solana-based meme token called SALIBA has materialized. It’s trading at roughly $800 in daily volume, which is less than what most people spend on a decent used couch.
The injury and Saliba’s World Cup status
The back issue isn’t new. Saliba had been managing the problem before the Champions League final, but the match against PSG on May 28 made things worse.
French head coach Didier Deschamps addressed the situation on June 3, confirming that Saliba is “fine” and would have played if required during a pre-tournament friendly.
