William Saliba is facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines after suffering a back injury.
The defender had been managing the condition for some time, but his back gave out again during France’s semi-final defeat to Spain earlier this week.
Arsenal have yet to determine the best course of action, and surgery has not been ruled out. Manager Mikel Arteta is set to be without one of his first-choice central defenders for a significant period.
The squad has potential replacements available, with Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori, and Cristhian Mosquera all capable of deputising. Teenager Marli Salmon could also feature more prominently next season.
Arteta had already been mindful of Saliba’s workload, having nursed the former Saint-Etienne defender through the closing stages of last season.
Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa had been considered as a possible target, but a move for free agent John Stones is now under review.
Stones, 32, left Manchester City last month after the expiration of his contract, ending a trophy-laden decade at the club. He is currently without a club.
The former Everton centre-half has not ruled out remaining in England, though he has attracted interest from abroad. He previously worked with Arteta at Manchester City and could be drawn to renewing that partnership.
