Arsenal’s William Saliba has withdrawn from the France squad for this month’s friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the U.S., with Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix called up to replace him.
The French Football Federation (FFF) said in a statement that Saliba is suffering from “recurring pain his his left ankle”, which would require treatment and “a minimum rest period of 10 days”.
Saliba played 90 minutes in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday, before the FFF’s announcement.,
Lacroix, 25, has earned his first full France call-up, boosting his chances of being involved in this summer’s World Cup. He has played 43 games in all competitions for Palace this season, impressing for Oliver Glasner’s side.
Saliba was initially named in a larger-than-usual 27-man France squad by head coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday.
France will face Brazil in Foxborough, Massachusetts on March 26 before taking on Colombia in Landover, Maryland on March 29.
The 2022 World Cup runners-up are in Group I at the upcoming tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, along with Senegal, Norway and a yet-to-be-determined winner from the inter-confederation playoffs.
