William Saliba's wait for his World Cup debut goes on after he failed to feature for France in Les Bleus' 4-1 win against Australia last night.
France manager Didier Deschamps chose to start Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate as part of a back four ahead of Saliba, a decision which Arsenal fans questioned on social media. Saliba has been sensational for the Gunners so far in the Premier League campaign, with his defensive brilliance being paired with strong attacking capabilities from set pieces as he scored his first goals for the Gunners with a wonder strike against Bournemouth and a precise header against Brentford earlier in the 2022/23 campaign.
Former Arsenal star Olivier Giroud equalled Gunners legend Thierry Henry's goal scoring record for Les Bleus with a brace against the Socceroos. Saliba was an unused substitute for France's opening World Cup fixture but may be called upon for their second game of Group D against Denmark after an unconvincing defensive display from Les Bleus.
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Saliba has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season after returning from a successful loan spell with Marseille last term. The 21-year-old was tipped to be a key player for France at the World Cup after Manchester United star Raphael Varane suffered an injury ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
Varane was passed fit to be involved in the competition but didn't start against Australia, with Liverpool's Konate and Bayern Munich star Upamecano starting ahead of him and Saliba. Players who did not feature for Les Bleus in the win last night look set to feature in a friendly against Qatari 1st division side Al Gharafa on Wednesday evening as Deschamps aims to maintain match fitness for his squad.
The French have been hampered by injuries to key players such as Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, Christopher Nkunku and Lucas Hernandez, who left the pitch with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The friendly being arranged is likely an attempt to keep fitness levels high throughout the tournament in a bid to avoid further injuries.
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