Injury threatens France's Saliba's participation in the World Cup

Defender William Saliba is "very doubtful" for France's World Cup debut due to a back injury, ESPN reported this Monday (1st).

The 25-year-old defender will undergo tests this Monday to determine the severity of the injury. However, there are fears that he could be absent from the French team during the entire tournament played in North America, according to the report.

Saliba featured in 50 of Arsenal's 63 games across all competitions this season, contributing to the Gunners winning the Premier League title.

The defender suffered a back injury in May and was left out of the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, played last Saturday (30).

For the French national team, Saliba has 31 caps, including participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 Euro Cup.

Current leader of the world rankings, France is part of Group I of the World Cup. The team opens against Senegal on June 16, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Then, they face Iraq on June 22, in Philadelphia, and close the group stage against Norway on June 26, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

In addition to Saliba, the defenders called up to France's 26-man squad are Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernández, Theo Hernández, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix and Dayot Upamecano.

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Source: CNN