Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWilliam Saliba's fitness has given France fans cause for concern ahead of their World Cup 2026 opener against Senegal.The Arsenal defender suffered a back injury towards the end of the domestic season and had a scan earlier this month to find out the severity of the problem.There were even fears that Saliba could miss the World Cup in what would have been a major blow for France manager Didier Deschamps, who has put faith in the 25-year-old as his first-choice centre back.Play our FREE match predictor game and win �1kWilliam Saliba fitness status revealed ahead of France vs SenegalSaliba missed Les Bleus' 2-1 friendly defeat by Ivory Coast on Thursday, June 4, owing to his involvement in the Champions League final five days earlier, before playing the first half of the 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in France's last warm-up match four days later.The squad then flew out to North America ahead of their Group I opener against Senegal in New Jersey and Deschamps revealed Saliba remains a major part of his plans. You may like How to watch France vs Senegal for FREE France squad World Cup 2026: Didier Deschamps' team for Senegal clash Senegal World Cup 2026 squad: Pape Thiaw's side to take on France "William is fine and will be managed," Deschamps told ESPN ahead of the clash with Ivory Coast.Saliba partnered Dayot Upamecano at centre back against Northern Ireland but Deschamps revealed several factors would go into his starting XI for the World Cup opener.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.He said: "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."Saliba, ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo's list of the best centre-backs in the world right now, has started every France match in which he has featured since June 2024, suggesting that he will get the nod against Senegal.The defender has already racked up 54 games for club and country this season and played a key role in Arsenal's Premier League title triumph and run to the Champions League final, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain.He played all 120 minutes of that final in Budapest on May 30, despite his back issue, and joined up with the national team the following week.France have a six-day gap between their first and second Group I matches, with a game against Iraq in Philadelphia next up on Monday.They finish the group stages against Norway in Boston on Friday, May 26.TOPICSFranceArsenalWorld Cup 2026James RobertsFreelance writerJames Roberts is a freelance sports journalist working for FourFourTwo and other titles. He started his career at the Oxford Mail, where he covered Oxford United home and away, before becoming a sports sub-editor for various national newspapers.
