Arsenal and France defender William Saliba could miss World Cup | OneFootball

Wiliam Saliba (25) played all 120 minutes of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final as Arsenal lost to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. However, Foot Mercato understands that the Frenchman was playing with a minor (unspecified) injury, which was aggravated over the course of Saturday’s match in Budapest. The publication understands that it could seriously threaten the defender’s participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Saliba has established himself as the first-choice centre-back, alongside Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano. However, Didier Deschamps may have to reconstruct his centre-back partnership, at least for the start of the World Cup, Foot Mercato understands. 

Saliba could be absent for several weeks, with the start of the World Cup just a fortnight away. The nature of the Arsenal defender’s injury has not been specified. However, his current state is a source of concern with the FFF, the publication adds. France play Ivory Coast in a warm-up match on Thursday. Their first World Cup match is against Senegal on 16th June.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle