June 09, 2026
William Saliba was deemed fit ahead of France's final friendly before the World Cup and would be set for full participation in the Group I opener Jun 16 against Senegal barring setbacks with his ailing back.
Saliba, 25, had scans on his back last week to determine whether discomfort he flagged was potentially a more serious injury.
Manager Didier Deschamps downplayed the severity of the injury last week but Saliba's participation was limited entering Monday's friendly in Lille against Northern Ireland. It's likely Deschamps will use Monday to gauge Saliba's readiness for the World Cup next week.
Saliba said treatment alleviated pain that came about during the full 120 minutes he played in Arsenal's Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. He helped Arsenal win their first Premier League title in 22 years while appearing in 50 of 63 matches across all competitions.
