Arsenal centre-back William Saliba a major fitness doubt for France’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers

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·31 August 2025

Arsenal centre-back William Saliba a major fitness doubt for France’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Arsenal centre-back William Saliba (24) is a major fitness for France’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The 24-year-old pulled out with an apparent muscle injury five minutes into the Gunners’ Premier League clash against champions Liverpool. The France international had to be replaced by summer signing Cristhian Mosquera.

Saliba could be the second player in Didier Deschamps’ France squad to miss out on the September international break. Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki, who will reportedly be out for two months for a torn quadriceps, according to Pep Guardiola, has already been replaced by Hugo Ekitike. The Liverpool centre-forward has earned his first-ever senior call-up with Les Bleus.

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Should Saliba miss out on his France duties, Deschamps has no shortage of options to choose from. He could pick Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Loïc Badé or go for an internal solution with Leny Yoro, considering the Manchester United centre-back will be at Clairefontaine with France’s U21 side.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval