The France national team coach Didier Deschamps has shared a positive update regarding William Saliba (25). Earlier this week, reports emerged regarding a back injury affecting the Arsenal center-back, yet he joined his international teammates on Tuesday for France’s World Cup training camp. It is reported that he may undergo surgery post-tournament.
When questioned about Saliba’s readiness ahead of France’s first warm-up match against the Ivory Coast this Thursday in Nantes, Deschamps confirmed that while Saliba will not play in this match, his availability for the World Cup is not in jeopardy. “If William Saliba had to play tomorrow, he would have played.
Furthermore, Deschamps noted that the six players who participated in Saturday’s Champions League final – including Saliba, PSG’s Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé – will not likely start on Thursday, as they only returned to the team on Tuesday.
“I have to manage their workload, even though it may conflict with the team’s overall strategy. But now is the time to do it.” Saliba and the other PSG players will have another opportunity to prepare for the World Cup during France’s final warm-up match against Northern Ireland on Monday.