New Jersey, June 13 -- France defender William Saliba will not be participating in the team's training ahead of the FIFA World Cup opener on Friday and will be following an individual programme for recovery from back pain, announced the French Football Federation (FFF).

Saliba has experienced back pains in recent weeks, following a long, exhausting season with Arsenal, which saw the Gunners finally capture the Premier League title in 22 years, but end as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League final.

France coach Didier Deschamps had said recently that he would be fit in time for the World Cup.

A statement from FFF, as quoted by Reuters, said, "William Saliba will not take part in the day's team training. T...