Head coach Didier Deschamps of France has calmed concerns regarding the fitness of center back William Saliba as the FIFA World Cup approaches.
Previously, ESPN reported that the 25-year-old was scheduled for scans on Monday to assess a back injury he sustained weeks ago, leading to worries that he might miss the tournament.
However, during a news conference on Wednesday, Deschamps stated that Saliba’s fitness is not a concern before Les Bleus commence their World Cup preparations with a friendly against Ivory Coast on Thursday in Nantes, where Saliba is not anticipated to participate.
“William is fine and will be managed. If he needed to play tomorrow, he would play,” Deschamps confirmed.
This season, Saliba participated in 50 out of 63 matches for Arsenal, becoming a key player in their Premier League success and their run to the Champions League final.
The two-time world champions are also set to face Northern Ireland on June 8 in Lille before heading to North America, where they will kick off their World Cup campaign against Senegal on June 16.
When asked if he has an idea of his starting XI for the opening match, Deschamps replied, “Of course I do, but things can change. There will be two matches before then, and anything can happen.”
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Deschamps will manage the playing time for Paris Saint-Germain‘s players including Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, and Lucas Hernández, especially those who were on the field during Saturday’s Champions League final.
“I will need to manage the players’ minutes, even if it conflicts with their desires,” Deschamps remarked. “All 26 players are fit, and this warmup match is just a step towards another in four days against Northern Ireland.”
France is grouped in Group I for this summer’s tournament alongside Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.
Information from PA contributed to this report.