Overview
- Reports say William Saliba aggravated a pre-existing back problem while playing the full 120 minutes in Saturday's Champions League final in Budapest.
- French and international outlets reported he underwent scans on Monday to assess the injury and some sources described him as 'very doubtful' for the tournament.
- France coach Didier Deschamps has publicly downplayed the alarm by confirming Saliba is with the squad and saying 'He's here. Everything is fine.'
- Saliba has been officially named in France's World Cup squad but his fitness could force Deschamps to use alternatives such as Ibrahima Konaté, Maxence Lacroix, Lucas Hernández or Jules Koundé.
- With France due to open the World Cup on June 16, the French federation and club medical teams will monitor further tests and updates closely because any multi-week layoff could affect both France's defensive plans and Arsenal's preseason.