France will be without Saliba, one of its key defenders. The 25-year-old, recently voted the world's best defender in akicker poll of Bundesliga professionals, would normally start at centre-back for the Equipe Tricolore.
Since the 2024 European Championship, he has been indispensable to manager Didier Deschamps, and at the World Cup he was due to anchor France's defence alongside Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano. France, along with European champions Spain and defending world champions Argentina, are one of the three leading contenders for the title.
Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, expected to join Bayern Munich this summer, provides a ready-made, high-caliber alternative. Other options for the French back line include Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain) and Jules Kounde (FC Barcelona), who is primarily deployed at right-back.