The mystery surrounding the future of French defender William Saliba with Arsenal continues, after a new report revealed developments that could change the club's approach to his injury, while speculation persists about its plans in the transfer market.

French newspaper L'Équipe reported that the latest medical tests showed no additional damage to the back injury that Saliba is suffering from, prompting Arsenal to change its plan and favor the option of long-term conservative treatment rather than resorting to surgery, with a final decision expected next week.

The report hinted that this development raised questions about whether Arsenal is deliberately hiding the extent of the injury and not exaggerating talk about it while it seeks to bolster its defense during the summer transfer window. It pointed out that officially announcing Saliba's long-term absence could give clubs negotiating with Arsenal over defenders an advantage in talks, which could affect the doubling of deal values and conditions to exploit its need.

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Adding to the mystery is Saliba's continued presence in the French national team camp, despite his absence from training ahead of the third-place match against England in the World Cup.

L'Équipe concluded its report by affirming that speculation about the length of Saliba's absence and Arsenal's plans in the transfer market will continue until the club issues an official statement clarifying the player's situation definitively.

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