France manager Didier Deschamps has moved to ease concerns surrounding William Saliba's fitness, confirming the Arsenal centre back is available for their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I opener against Senegal in New Jersey.

Saliba had picked up a back injury late in the domestic season, prompting scans and speculation that the 25-year-old could miss the tournament entirely — a prospect that would have been a serious setback for Les Bleus.

Manager's reassurance

Speaking ahead of France's warm-up match against Ivory Coast, Deschamps offered a measured but positive assessment. "William is fine and will be managed," he told ESPN, signalling that the defender remains central to his plans.

Saliba missed the 2-1 friendly defeat to Ivory Coast on June 4 — a decision attributed to his participation in the UEFA Champions League final just five days earlier — before featuring in the first half of France's 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland in their final warm-up fixture four days later.

World Cup minutes carefully managed

In that match against Northern Ireland, Saliba partnered Dayot Upamecano at centre back. Deschamps acknowledged that squad rotation and individual circumstances would shape his selection decisions ahead of the World Cup, noting the scheduling gaps between matches in the United States as a factor in his planning.

"They all want to be in the starting lineup. We'll be mindful of the frustration that this can create. Also, because of the specific situation in the United States, the gap between each match, we'll learn other things," Deschamps said.

Saliba has started every France match in which he has appeared since June 2024, a record that points strongly to him taking his place in the starting XI against Senegal. The defender played all 120 minutes of the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 — where Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain — before linking up with the national squad the following week, having already accumulated 54 appearances for club and country this season.

France's Group I schedule

Should Saliba feature against Senegal, France will then have a six-day break before their second Group I match against Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday. They conclude the group stage against Norway in Boston on Friday, May 26.