No place for Saliba

According to the Evening Standard, the 25-year-old is now fully fit. He came through 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly last week and then made the trip to the Czech Republic for Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague. Football.London reports that he has still to appear for Arsenal this season as he works his way back.

The Evening Standard's assessment is that Mikel Arteta will welcome the news, with Saliba able to spend more time on the training pitch, although he will lose the chance to accumulate minutes with France.

Arteta's stance

Speaking on Friday, before Arsenal's Premier League meeting with Hull City, Arteta said the two parties had been in close dialogue and that the call rested with the France head coach.

The statement reads: "They have all the information, now it's about them, about Zinedine in this case to make the call." We will accept whatever it is," he said, per the Evening Standard. Arteta also noted that the squad was due to be confirmed at 5pm that evening.

France's schedule

Zidane's side sit top of Nations League League A, Group 1, having collected four points from the 12 available across an extended three-week window in which they played Belgium twice, Italy and Turkey. They meet Italy and Turkey again inside the next nine days.

What follows the break

Arsenal return to action after the internationals with a trip to St James' Park to face Newcastle, before home fixtures against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.

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