France manager Didier Deschamps has spoken out about the ongoing injury issue concerning William Saliba, confirming that the Arsenal defender has been dealing with a back problem for 'several weeks' but remains available for selection.
The 25-year-old centre-back played 50 games across all competitions this season, marking the third consecutive campaign in which he has reached half a century of appearances. Saliba, who earned his first France call-up in 2022, has now accumulated 31 caps under Deschamps.
Heading into the World Cup this summer as a starter for his country, there were concerns that his participation might be in jeopardy due to the injury. After Arsenal's penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, reports emerged suggesting Saliba's persistent back issue could force him to miss the tournament.
Saliba was left out of France's 2-1 friendly loss to Ivory Coast on Thursday, with Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate partnering at centre-back. However, Deschamps has since alleviated serious fears, though he acknowledged the problem continues to be managed by the national team's medical staff.
Speaking ahead of Monday's friendly against Northern Ireland in Lille, Deschamps told Telefoot: 'All 26 players will be available for tomorrow's match. He [Saliba] is being looked after by the medical staff, and we are also managing him based on how he feels. But it's something he's had for several weeks and it hasn't prevented him from playing every match with Arsenal, including that final for 120 minutes.'
The French squad has not yet departed for the United States for the World Cup. The 2022 runners-up will begin their campaign on Tuesday, June 16, against Senegal, before facing Iraq and Norway in Group I.
This summer's World Cup will be Deschamps' final tournament in charge of France, as he prepares to end a 14-year tenure. Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele told ESPN: 'We know it's the last competition for the coach. He's a very high level who has a lot of results with the French team. We're very happy to have him of course. We already played the World Cup with him. That's what we're essentially focused on. His leaving isn't really impacting our mentality in this tournament, we want to finish well with him by reaching the World Cup final. He's a coach who has counted on each of these players in the French team. He sends us congratulations or motivates us after a match. He's very important to me personally in my career. We'll try to do well with him as a coach because he deserves it.'
