France head coach Didier Deschamps has offered a positive update regarding the fitness of defender William Saliba (25). Earlier reports from France had suggested that the Arsenal centre-back was dealing with a back problem. Despite that, Saliba joined his France teammates on Tuesday as they began their World Cup training camp. It is also reported that the 25-year-old could undergo surgery following this summer’s international competition.

Speaking ahead of France’s first warm-up match against Ivory Coast this Thursday in Nantes, Deschamps confirmed that the AS Saint-Étienne academy product will not play against Les Elephants. However, the France boss stressed that Saliba’s availability for the World Cup is not in jeopardy. Deschamps stated, “If William Saliba had to play tomorrow, he would have played.”

Deschamps further mentioned that the six French players who featured in Saturday’s Champions League final — Saliba, along with Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé — are unlikely to start on Thursday, as they only rejoined the national camp at Clairefontaine earlier this week on Tuesday.

“I have to manage their workload, even if it means going against the team’s overall tactical plan. But this is the right time to do it,” Deschamps explained. Both Saliba and the PSG contingent are expected to have another opportunity to build match fitness on Monday in France’s final warm-up match against Northern Ireland before the World Cup begins.