William Saliba to be monitored by France after back pain flare-up | OneFootball

William Saliba’s back problem has worsened after Arsenal’s 1-1, 3-4 on penalties defeat to PSG in the Champions League final, and France will monitor him closely in the coming days. It is not, at this stage, enough to rule the 25-year-old out of the World Cup.

According to L'Équipe, the centre-back is due at Clairefontaine on Tuesday alongside Désiré Doué, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez and Bradley Barcola. Further assessments are scheduled on Tuesday and his workload will be managed cautiously.

The issue has nagged for weeks and he required treatment from Arsenal’s staff during extra time in Budapest. A medical protocol had allowed him to cope and maintain strong performances in the Premier League and Champions League.

Arsenal had accepted they might struggle to rely on him after the World Cup for several weeks, with a possible end-of-summer intervention not yet detailed, but his discomfort has intensified. Since Sunday his camp has sought a precise diagnosis, though by Monday lunchtime France were more optimistic.

No risks will be taken early in camp, including for Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday and Northern Ireland on Monday. He last featured on 13 November in the 4-0 win over Ukraine and missed March’s camp with recurring left ankle pain that required at least 10 days’ rest. Ibrahima Konaté and Maxence Lacroix are natural options, but a fully fit Saliba would be a notable asset.

Source: L'Équipe