Arsenal central defender William Saliba has received a boost in his chances of starting France's opening World Cup game against Australia after Les Bleus confirmed Presnel Kimpembe would miss the tournament.
Didier Deschamps named his 26-man squad on Wednesday evening and included the Gunners man in his strong defensive crop. Saliba faces tough competition from Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano for a spot in Deschamp's back three.
Saliba was handed his senior debut for France during his time with Marseille, where he won Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. He's since returned to north London and continued his impressive development to form one of the sturdiest defences in the Premier League alongside Gabriel.
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The Gunners man has improved drastically since September's international break where Saliba was hooked at half-time against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League after having gone 2-0 down. The 21-year-old has featured in Arteta's backline in all 14 league games this season, keeping seven clean sheets to help steer the club to the top of the Premier League table.
With Deschamps set to deploy a 3-4-1-2 system that was used since their early Euro 2020 exit, Saliba stands a good chance in starting next Tuesday against Australia in Al Wakrah. However, with just over a week until their first game, Deschamps and France have received a terrible blow to their planning with the news that Kimpembe would miss the tournament and be replaced by Monaco's Axel Disasi.
In a statement posted on social media, Kimpembe expressed his heartbreak at missing out. He said: "After various tests carried out with the technical teams of PSG but also of the French team, I made the decision not to play the World Cup.
"As many know, I'm always ready to fight for the selection and represent my country, it's always a huge pride and having the chance to play the most prestigious competition again is an honor.
"Unfortunately, my health comes first and the latest tests have shown that I will not be able to ensure a 200% performance and I do not wish to destabilise the group. I wish the best of competitions to all my teammates. I trust you and I will always be your first supporter... Alles lez Blues!"
Whilst Kimpembe's absence will be a huge miss for France, it offers a further incentive for Saliba to make a mark on the national team in Qatar. With such quality in defence, Saliba could now automatically find himself further up Deschamps' preferred back three.
In the 2-0 victory over Austria in September, Varane and Kounde were partnered by Benoit Badiashile, who was excluded from the World Cup squad. Varane has not featured since October 22 and is a doubt for the opening game of the tournament, meaning Saliba could find himself facing Graham Arnold's side next week.
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