"If I chose any" - William Gallas makes bold statement as he reveals his England-France combined XI ahead of FIFA World Cup clash

Former Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur star William Gallas would not add any English players to an England-France combined XI ahead of their FIFA World Cup quarter-final.

The former French international claimed he would pick Les Bleus' XI as his combined team. While Gallas acknowledged that the Three Lions have a strong midfield, he refused to select any player from Gareth Southgate's side.

Speaking to Genting Casino, Gallas said:

"I would only take France's starting XI because, although England has some quality players, especially in midfield, France has Adrien Rabiot so it wouldn't be good if I chose any England players in my team."

The Three Lions have a really strong midfield with Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham at the heart of it. Jordan Henderson has also impressed since his introduction to the first XI.

France, on the other hand, are missing influential midfielders Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante but Gallas believes their replacements - Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot - are better than England's starting midfield.

Gallas was asked how Les Bleus would fare against the 2020 UEFA Euro finalists. He replied:

"Saturday's game will be a good challenge for France because they know they'll be playing against Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, who are really strong. France will want to test themselves against this midfield and they will know that you have to play against your level if you want to go through to the next round."

William Gallas scrutinized England and France's squads ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup clash

William Gallas Portrait Session

William Gallas was also asked whether he believes that the Three Lions and Les Bleus are the two strongest teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

While Gallas recognized the qualities of both teams, he refused to conclude that they are the outright best sides at the tournament. He said:

"We won't be watching the two best teams because we've still got Brazil, I think Portugal will qualify too and for me at the moment, the strongest teams are Brazil, Portugal, France and England. They're very strong teams at the moment."

The two European heavyweights will collide in a FIFA World Cup quarter-final clash on December 10 at the Al Bayt Stadium.