William Saliba has been one of the best defenders in Europe when club performance alone is counted.
The Frenchman has been in superb form for Premier League table-topping Arsenal over the last two seasons, yet he does not get enough chances with the France senior national team.
He first came to widespread attention during his successful loan stint at Olympique Marseille and has been a starting defender in two successive title-chasing seasons for Arsenal.
This should ideally be enough to make him a regular starter for Les Bleus, but that has not been the case.
Most people will think that this is expected because France has a large pool of fine centre-backs, but his manager has revealed that he does not perform well for the national team.
Speaking about Saliba’s struggles, Didier Deschamps said, as quoted by The Sun:
“He is having a good season, but he also does things that I don’t like so much.
“For France, he has limited game time, but when he plays, that hasn’t necessarily gone well. The hierarchy doesn’t favour him at the moment, but he is here.
“Upamecano has had game time and perhaps William has had less.
“With certain players, I make sure to persevere, because it can be confidence or little blockages that can shift. Some don’t have any concerns, some need game time.
“William has had less game time, so that doesn’t allow him to be very calm.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Saliba’s struggle for France is a surprise because he is one of the highest-rated defenders in European football.
We expect so much more from him when he is with his country, but his lack of action there could be a good thing for us.
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