Didier Deschamps provides update on William Saliba’s fitness | OneFootball

France national team Didier Deschamps has provided a reassuring update on William Saliba’s fitness (25). Reports coming out of France earlier this week spoke of a back injury for the Arsenal centre-back, who has nonetheless linked up with his international teammates on Tuesday for France’s World Cup training camp. The 25-year-old is reportedly said to undergo surgery after this summer’s international tournament.

Quizzed on Saliba’s fitness on the eve of France’s first warm-up game against Ivory Coast this Thursday at Nantes, Deschamps has confirmed that the AS Saint-Etienne academy graduate won’t feature against Les Elephants, but Les Bleus’ boss is adamant that Saliba’s participation for the World Cup is not at all thrown into doubt. “ If William Saliba had to play tomorrow, he would have played.”

Deschamps has added that the six France who took part in Saturday’s Champions League final – Saliba and PSG’s Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé – are not expected to start on Thursday, given they only reported back to Clairefontaine on Tuesday. 

“I have to manage their workload, even if it goes against the team’s overall strategy. But now is the time to do it.” Saliba and France’s PSG players should have another chance to go through the World Cup gears on Monday for Les Bleus‘ final warm-up game against Northern Ireland.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval