France coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed William Saliba is fit despite concerns over a back injury.
France head coach Didier Deschamps has moved to calm concerns surrounding William Saliba’s fitness ahead of the World Cup, insisting the Arsenal defender is in good condition despite reports suggesting he could miss the tournament through injury.
Questions emerged over Saliba’s availability after speculation that the centre-back was dealing with a back problem following a demanding season with Arsenal. The 25-year-old recently featured in Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain before joining up with the French national team.
Saliba arrived at France’s pre-World Cup training camp near Paris on Tuesday alongside the rest of the squad. While he is not expected to play a major role in Thursday’s warm-up match against Ivory Coast in Nantes, Deschamps stressed that the decision is purely precautionary.
“William is fine and will be managed. If he had needed to play tomorrow, he would have played,” the France boss told reporters.
With the World Cup approaching, Deschamps plans to carefully rotate his squad during the upcoming friendlies. France will also face Northern Ireland in Lille next Monday as the coach looks to balance match fitness with player recovery ahead of the tournament.
Particular attention will be paid to players who were involved in the Champions League final. Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue are among five Paris Saint-Germain players in the squad, and Deschamps admitted their workload would be closely monitored after their recent European triumph.
“I will manage the six players involved in the Champions League, even more so those who started, given what lies ahead,” Deschamps explained. The veteran coach is preparing for his final major tournament with France before stepping down after the World Cup.
Deschamps also provided an update on captain Kylian Mbappe, who endured a frustrating season with Real Madrid despite maintaining an impressive scoring record. The forward faced criticism after taking a holiday while recovering from a hamstring issue late in the campaign, but his national team coach dismissed any concerns about his commitment.
“What happened at club level stays at club level. Here, it’s the national team,” Deschamps said. “He has experience that others don’t. It will be his third World Cup. He knows how difficult a World Cup is.” According to the France manager, Mbappe has arrived in camp in excellent physical and mental condition as Les Bleus begin their preparations for another attempt at global glory.
