Arsenal handed new William Saliba boost after France squad announcement

Saliba omitted from Zidane's France squad, giving the Arsenal defender extra recovery time after his back injury.

William Saliba has not been selected by Zinedine Zidane for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures against Italy and Turkey. The Arsenal defender was unavailable for Zidane's first squad as he recovered from a back injury sustained during the World Cup semi-final, but has since returned to full fitness. He played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week and travelled with Arsenal for their 2-1 Champions League win over Slavia Prague.

Mikel Arteta welcomed the news, as Saliba will benefit from additional training time with the club rather than international duty. However, the 25-year-old will miss out on valuable match minutes to build his sharpness. Arsenal face Newcastle at St James' Park after the international break, followed by home games against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.