Saliba prepares for the match against Iraq despite back pain

The defender of London Arsenal and the French national team William Saliba said that he has been forced to go on the field for several months, overcoming back pain. However, the 25-year-old footballer finds motivation in the desire to write his name in the history of world football. This season, Saliba played a key role in the Gunners winning the coveted English Premier League title, the club's first in 22 years. The team was also one step away from a historic triumph in the Champions League, but in the final they lost dramatically to Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout. Now the defender's main goal is to win the World Cup as part of the French national team. The French, who started the tournament as one of the main favorites, had a successful start, Ahead of the second match of the group stage against Iraq, Saliba shared the details of his condition: "I had some minor problems for a few months. I gritted my teeth, because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff copes with it very well. The World Cup only happens once in four years, so you have to grit your teeth. I'm not 100% ready, but there are many players who are not 100% ready either - you can't make excuses," said the football player. The match against Senegal proved to be a tough one for Didier Deschamps' men, with the team struggling for the first hour until Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 66th minute. This match became a landmark for the 27-year-old forward: Mbappe made it a double by scoring his second goal in stoppage time. This achievement allowed him to overtake Olivier Giroud and become the single best scorer in the history of the French national team (58 goals). Monday's match against Iraq could see Kylian make his 100th international cap. With 14 World Cup goals to his credit, he continues to challenge for the tournament's all-time record (16 goals each), currently shared by Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi. (By the way, the Argentine national team led by Messi will also play its match against Austria on Monday). The meeting with Iraq promises to be rich in goals. Le Bleus' statistics are impressive: France have scored at least one goal in each of their last 14 matches, with more than one goal scored in 13 of them. Iraq, in turn, in the first round, which deprived the French of leadership in Group I due to the worse goal difference. However, head coach Didier Deschamps still has work to do: France have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last six matches. Line-up rotation: According to French media reports, Deschamps is preparing changes in the line-up. Luc Digne, Manu Kone, and Bradley Barkola, who made his World Cup debut with a goal after coming on as a substitute against Senegal, are expected to get a chance to shine. For Iraq, who are still without a point in their previous four World Cup matches (although they have scored nine goals in their last 11 international matches), the team has received a major boost. Team leader Ali Jasim is fit to play despite missing the opener against Norway through injury.