Upamecano and Saliba miss latest France training

A notable development has emerged regarding the defensive line of the France national team as they prepare for the World Cup semifinal. According to L'Équipe, Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba did not take part in Saturday's training session at the team's base in Boston. Both players thus missed one of the final sessions before the semifinal against Spain, to be played in Dallas on Tuesday.

Saliba's situation had in fact been known throughout the tournament. The Arsenal defender, who has been struggling with a back issue, was already training in a limited fashion in order to stay fit for matchdays and had previously missed several sessions. Upamecano, meanwhile, was reported to have been rested for load management reasons due to foot pain. It is stated that manager Didier Deschamps does not force his players to take part in every session, and that these absences are precautionary in nature.

Both defenders are expected to be fit in time for the Spain match. The situation of the centre-back pairing in France's starting XI carries particular significance considering the attacking power of European champions Spain.

There were positive developments on the France side as well. Captain Kylian Mbappé, who went off late in the Morocco match after a knock to his ankle, trained normally; the star player had also said after the match that his condition was no cause for concern. Aurélien Tchouaméni, who missed the quarterfinal with a muscle injury, returning to training with the team also pleased the coaching staff. France will fly to Dallas on Sunday afternoon following one final training session in the morning.

Source: L'Équipe
Image: Yahoo Sports