Arsenal star William Saliba is one of four players being lined up to replace the injured Raphael Varane in France's World Cup squad.
Varane was forced to leave Manchester United's draw with Chelsea with 30 minutes remaining after suffering what appeared to be a hamstring injury. The Frenchman departed the pitch in tears, a clear indicator that he feels he will not return to fitness in time to feature in Qatar.
The Red Devils star has been a key member of the Les Bleus squad, helping them to win the World Cup four years ago. But it now appears likely that he will have to miss the tournament this time around, with less than a month to go before it gets underway.
That means that Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps will need to call up a replacement for the centre-back. According to L'Equipe, Saliba is in contention to fill that role, having starred for Arsenal in their charge to the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners have kept four clean sheets so far this term and have the second-best defensive record in the top-flight. At the heart of that resilience has been Saliba, who has played every minute of Arsenal's Premier League campaign so far.
While the 21-year-old has impressed, there are concerns that the youngster is too inexperienced at international level. The report states that three other players are in contention to travel to the Middle East.
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That trio is Liverpool star Ibrahima Konta, Barcelona defender Jules Kounde and Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano. With Varane likely ruled out, Benoît Badiashile, Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe are expected to form France's starting back three.
But they will still need at least one option on the bench, with Saliba, Kounde, Upamecano and Konate now battling it out for a seat on the plane. Despite Saliba's solid performances, it is Kounde who is seen as the current favourite.
It is stated that his 'multidimensional defensive capacity' is widely sought after by Deschamps. Aiding his candidacy are injury concerns over Konate and the fact that Upamecano has struggled to fulfill his potential on the international stage.
Varane has until 9 November, when Deschamps will name his World Cup squad, to prove his fitness. United boss Erik ten Hag has moved to reassure Varane that he could yet recover in time by insisting the extent of his injury will not be known until Monday.
"It is difficult to say how it is now because it is so soon after the game. We have to wait 24 hours and then we will know what it is. We have all seen he came off but with an injury like this we always have to wait a minimum 24 hours and the medical staff can do their job and can set the diagnosis," he said.
“I can understand, we can all probably understand he would be emotional, but I think he also has to wait. You don’t know [how bad it is]. Of course he is experienced, but [the] medical [staff] have to do their job, have to make the assessment and set the right diagnosis, and then from there on can come a conclusion.”
