Former Saint-Etienne talent William Saliba quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s top defenders after three loan spells away from Arsenal. Saliba’s future with the club was uncertain following his third loan stint in Ligue 1 with Marseille. However, determined to prove his worth to Mikel Arteta, he became a crucial player alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, helping Arsenal secure consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League. Over 83 matches, he contributed five goals and two assists. Despite earning 15 caps for France, Saliba has not been a favorite of coach Didier Deschamps, who only gave him 27 minutes as a substitute during the 2022 World Cup.
Saliba is now expected to start for France in their Group D opener against Austria in Dusseldorf, according to L’Equipe. Although he was initially passed over for Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano in a recent friendly win over Luxembourg, Saliba played the full 90 minutes in a subsequent goalless draw with Canada. With Konate sidelined due to fitness issues, Saliba is set to partner Upamecano in defense, supported by Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez. Adrien Rabiot is anticipated to replace the injured Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield alongside N’Golo Kante, who is returning to international play. Antoine Griezmann will play as the number 10, supported by Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe on the flanks, with Marcus Thuram likely starting over Olivier Giroud.
