Didier Deschamps insists William Saliba is available for France’s World Cup campaign, easing worries about a back issue. Deschamps says Saliba could even feature in Thursday’s friendly if needed, though France plan to manage minutes carefully after the Champions League final, with the full 26-player squad described as being in good condition.

France start their Group I schedule against Senegal on June 16, before facing Iraq and Norway. Preparation includes two friendlies, against Ivory Coast on Thursday and Northern Ireland on Monday, which Deschamps will use to share game time among players who arrived at different stages of the camp.

Concerns emerged after reports that Saliba had been struggling with back pain since the end of Arsenal’s season. The centre-back played 50 matches for Arsenal in all competitions in 2025-26, contributing to the club ending a 22-year wait for a Premier League title, and finishing the year with a demanding Champions League campaign.

Saliba completed the full 120 minutes of the Champions League final last Saturday, when Arsenal drew 1-1 with Paris Saint-Germain before losing 4-3 on penalties. Saliba’s defensive partner Gabriel Magalhaes missed the decisive kick in the shoot-out, adding to the emotional strain for several France World Cup squad members involved in that match.

Deschamps directly addressed questions about Saliba at a press conference on Wednesday, stressing there is no major issue. “I don’t know about your concerns. But William is fine, he will be managed. If he had had to play tomorrow, he would play. He was ready to play. But he won’t play. It’s about management, as it is for others. The six in the Champions League final arrived late, I will have to distribute the playing time. Now is the time to do it. The 26 players are in good conditions.”

Saliba was one of six France World Cup players involved in the Champions League final. For PSG, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery all featured, while Lucas Hernandez remained on the bench. Their late arrival at Clairefontaine has shaped Deschamps’ planning for both friendlies before the tournament.

Deschamps explained how the Champions League final affected players’ moods and focus as France World Cup preparations stepped up. “Of the six in the final, five were smiling and had celebrated a lot, apparently! For William, it was more difficult. Everyone had different ends of the season. I told those six, ‘stop, it’s over’. They will find their clubs again next year. This is a common goal. The whole group must be fixated on it. When things are not going well personally with your club, the national team is good.”

Kylian Mbappe form and role in France World Cup campaign

Questions also focused on Kylian Mbappe, who experienced a challenging club season with Real Madrid, missing time through muscle injuries and finishing the year without a major trophy. Despite that, Deschamps underlined Mbappe’s importance as captain and highlighted the forward’s condition as France shift attention to the national team environment.

Deschamps offered a clear assessment of Mbappe ahead of the France World Cup opener. “He’s in great shape. That’s it, Deschamps responded. Physically and psychologically. He had to talk to the players, as he’s the captain. There’s what happened in the club season, and now it’s the national team. With the group, those who were there for the first sessions, he made an effort. He has experience that others don’t have, this is his third World Cup. And on the other hand, there should be a response. He’s doing very well.”

Mbappe arrives at this tournament with a strong World Cup scoring record. Across the previous two editions, Mbappe has scored 12 goals and recorded 14 total goal involvements, both more than any other player in that period. That run includes a hat-trick in the 2022 final, when Mbappe scored three times against Argentina.

Historically, Mbappe stands in rare company at FIFA’s showpiece event. Mbappe is one of two players to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, alongside Geoff Hurst in 1966. Mbappe is also one of five players to find the net in multiple World Cup finals, joining Vava, Pele, Paul Breitner and Zinedine Zidane in that group of elite performers.

With Saliba declared fit, the Champions League finalists integrated, and Mbappe described as fully ready, France move towards the World Cup with a settled squad. The upcoming friendlies against Ivory Coast and Northern Ireland will help Deschamps refine selections and manage workloads before France begin their Group I campaign against Senegal, Iraq and Norway.