Last-chance saloon? William Saliba looking to stake claim for France spot | OneFootball

It’s not an understatement to say that William Saliba has become indispensable for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. The defender was crucial last season as The Gunners looked to end a 19-year-long wait for the league title, and his injury around this time last year can be pointed to as one of the key turning points that ended their dramatic charge.

Now as the 20th-anniversary approaches of the Invincibles title win and Arsenal sit top of the table in a three-horse race between them, Liverpool, and Manchester City, the defender once again shoulders the hope and expectations of the club and fans alike. You’d worry that the pressure and demands would be too much for a young player (someone who only turned 23 just two days ago) but for Saliba, he looks as if he was born for this role.

A centre-back who blends his natural talent with an exceptional understanding of the game, making him a force both in and out of possession. And despite already being considered one of the best defenders in the world, there is a terrifying notion that he might not even be close to reaching the full depth of his potential.

This makes it all the more surprising that as the rest of the world falls for Saliba, Didier Deschamps remains cold and unmoved by the obvious talent at his disposal. Already it feels that as long as Deschamps is in the role as France manager, then Saliba will have an uphill struggle to find his place in the starting lineup.

‘He’s having a good season, but he also does things I don’t like so much’

Saliba has started only half of his 12 caps for France, and there has been a feeling that the coach has lost trust in the centre-back. And speaking at a press conference yesterday, this was confirmed by the France manager when he detailed the reasons for why he doesn’t pick Saliba as frequently as his club performances might merit.

“He is having a good season, but he also does things that I don’t like so much.  For France, he has limited game time, but when he plays, that hasn’t necessarily gone well. The hierarchy doesn’t favour him at the moment, but he is here.” Deschamps continued, “Dayot Upamecano has had game time and perhaps William has had less. With certain players, I make sure to persevere, because it can be confidence or little blockages that can shift. Some don’t have any concerns, some need game time.”

What exactly Saliba does that Deschamps does not fully approve of remains somewhat unclear, but it feels as if this is a judgement rooted in response to the 2022 Nations League campaign. The tournament came just ahead of the World Cup and was considered as preparation for the contest, and it was there that Saliba made his breakthrough into the France team.

He started four out of the six games in what was a disastrous campaign, as France attempted to defend their Nations League title. They won only once, drew twice, and lost three times as only a point difference meant that Austria were relegated instead of them. In the last match, a 2-0 loss to Denmark, Saliba was substituted at halftime as Deschamps’s experimental three at the back succumbed to failure.

Saliba always in the squad but rarely starting

Saliba was suddenly out of the lineup for the World Cup, playing only the dying stages of a dead rubber group tie against Tunisia. And since that disastrous match against Denmark, his international career has stuttered to a stop. A perennial call-up to the squad is rarely met with meaningful game time (A better fate than that of Benoît Badiashile (23) who has yet to feature again since that Denmark game).

He has started only two other games for France since then, a friendly against Germany and a qualifier for the EUROS against Greece. Unfortunately for Saliba, in both cases, France then failed to win. A 2-1 loss to Germany then saw a surprise 2-2 draw to Greece. There is still a brief hope that he might start tonight against Chile as France play the last of their friendlies, but with Deschamps at the helm, there is no guarantee.

It gives the impression that despite likely being nailed on for a place in this summer’s EUROS, Saliba will once again watch from the sidelines, scrapping for minutes in games that do not truly matter. It’s a remarkable position to be in when you consider that this is one of the premier defenders in the world, and it is a position that does not feel entirely fair.

And yet, with Deschamps likely to remain in the France job until 2026, then Saliba will have to show something different to what he has shown for Arsenal if he hopes of once again breaking back into the France team. What that is, is not quite clear, but if there is any luck for the young defender then hopefully he will be able to show it tonight.

GFFN | Nick Hartland