Saliba fit to face Senegal as Deschamps manages Arsenal defender's back injury at World Cup

William Saliba is fit to feature for France at the 2026 World Cup after concerns over a back injury that emerged late in the domestic season, with manager Didier Deschamps confirming the Arsenal defender is being carefully managed ahead of their Group I opener against Senegal in New Jersey.

Saliba suffered the back problem towards the end of the club campaign and underwent a scan earlier this month to assess its severity. At one stage there were fears he could miss the tournament entirely — a prospect that would have been a significant setback for Deschamps, who has made the 25-year-old his first-choice centre-back.

“William is fine and will be managed,” Deschamps told ESPN ahead of France’s friendly against Ivory Coast on 4 June, a match Saliba sat out due to his involvement in the Champions League final five days earlier. He did return to play the first half of France’s 3-1 warm-up win over Northern Ireland, partnering Dayot Upamecano at the back.

Deschamps has indicated that several factors will influence his starting XI for the Senegal match, including the physical demands of playing in the United States heat and the scheduling gaps between fixtures. “They all want to be in the starting lineup. We’ll be mindful of the frustration that this can create. Also, because of the specific situation in the United States, the gap between each match, we’ll learn other things,” the France manager said.

Saliba has started every France match in which he has featured since June 2024, making him a near-certain starter when fit. He has accumulated 54 appearances for club and country this season, playing a central role in Arsenal’s Premier League title win and their run to the Champions League final, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on 30 May. Notably, he played all 120 minutes of that final despite carrying the back complaint.

France face Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday in their second Group I game, before concluding the group stage against Norway in Boston on Friday, 30 May.