France U21 national team coach Thierry Henry admitted on Monday, when he announced his preliminary squad for the upcoming Olympics tournament, that he hadn’t faced that many rejections since he was in school when mentioning the club’s unwillingness to release their players for the tournament. The clubs are in their right to do so considering the competition does not fall within the framework of the FIFA calendar. Besides, it will take place when pre-season will be in full swing.

Considering his status as a bona fide Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry could have expected a helping hand from the Gunners, but the North London side have defended their interests and denied Henry his wish to call up French center-back William Saliba (23), according to a report this Tuesday from L’Equipe. The Bondy-born defender’s presence was deemed important for Henry, despite the fact the Saint-Etienne youth product has already been called up by France national team coach Didier Deschamps for the Euros. However, barring any injuries or unexpected change of heart from Deschamps, Saliba is expected to play a peripheral role in Germany this summer.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval