Overview
- Saliba completed 45 minutes in France’s final friendly and has been cleared to play in a limited, managed role by national staff.
- France manager Didier Deschamps said the medical team are monitoring Saliba and managing his minutes rather than treating the issue as a withdrawal‑level injury.
- Scans and training observations have shown ongoing back discomfort, with French reports noting moments of visible pain during sessions at Clairefontaine.
- Arsenal will defer any decision on surgery until after the World Cup, leaving treatment options open and creating a trade‑off between short‑term availability and long‑term care.
- France kept Saliba in the squad while maintaining contingency plans with other centre‑backs and can replace a seriously injured player up to 24 hours before their first match if needed.