Arsenal defender William Saliba will join Chelsea’s Malang Sarr in the back line for France at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.
The competition, which will start on July 21, is primarily for players under the age of 24, with countries limited to three senior players and clubs free to block their players from playing as the Olympics are not officially recognized by FIFA.
France Under-21 manager Sylvain Ripoll will lead Les Bleus this summer and he expects to win the whole thing with an outstanding squad with Premier League representatives Saliba and Sarr.
This means that the two players will probably miss the start of the league season as the tournament is set for August 7, seven days before the new Premier League promotion starts. Nothing will be presented during the pre-season, which sounds like bad news for Saliba, who is not yet convincing Mikel Arteta of his value.
Both will be keen to show their best form, but they are not the only two players worth watching. This French squad is completely stacked with talent, which seems to be the case for which tournament they participate.
The 1️⃣8️⃣ players (and a reservist) retained by Sylvain Ripoll to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games, which will take place from July 21 to August 7, 2021 ??
Subject to the validation of the Consultative Commission of the Olympic Selections of the CNOSF pic.twitter.com/avUnPANUSm
– Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) 25 June 2021
Rennes star Eduardo Camavinga could easily steal the show, as could Monaco’s skyscraper defender Benoit Badiashile, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United since making his professional debut.
There are also bonafide Ligue 1 stars such as Teji Savanier from Montpellier and Jonathan Ikone from Lille in midfield, along with the new Tigres man Florian Thauvin.
Thauvin is not the only representative of Tigres in the squad. The 35-year-old striker Andre-Pierre Gignac will return to the international scene for the first time since the end of 2016.
Gignac plays his football in Mexico / Hector Vivas / Getty Images
For France, their tournament will begin with a meeting with Mexico on July 22, which will be quickly followed by group stage matches against South Africa and Japan.
Les Bleus are among the favorites to go all the way this summer, but they must overcome big names like Germany and reigning champions Brazil.
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