The shining performance of Arsenal’s William Saliba for the French national team has made it difficult for coach Didier Deschamps to waste him on the substitute bench at the EURO 2024 tournament.

The French national team had a dress rehearsal match against Canada before the start of the EURO 2024 competition. While the “Les Bleus” were rated higher, they were held to a goalless draw by their opponents.

The result at Matmut Atlantique may not have pleased the French representatives, but for William Saliba, this was an outstanding individual display. On the day he was deployed by coach Didier Deschamps to play the full 90 minutes, the Arsenal center-back became the man of the match.

Statistics from AFC Stuff show that Saliba did not allow any Canadian player to get past him throughout the 90 minutes. The 23-year-old star made 6 clearances, had 8 duels, and achieved a 100% success rate in aerial battles.

With his solid defensive work, Saliba also played an important role in the French team’s build-up play from the back, completing 76 passes with an accuracy of 95%.

Saliba is a rock-solid pillar in the “Les Bleus” backline. His impressive performance may force Deschamps to re-think his starting lineup. Saliba is now competing directly for a starting spot with Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano, Deschamps’ preferred center-back pairing.