Gallas claims that the Arsenal star has made 'too many mistakes recently' and named a trio of other centre-backs ahead of him. Saliba, 23, has been a mainstay under boss Mikel Arteta since returning from a loan spell with Marseille in 2022, having been signed for £27million three years prior.
His absence is already being felt ahead of this Sunday's clash with Liverpool, having been sent off in last weekend's dismal 2-0 defeat away to Bournemouth. Helping Arsenal challenge for the league title two seasons in a row, Saliba is considered by many to be the best centre-back in the division alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Yet neither have earned a place in Gallas' top three, preferring both of their centre-back partners and one of Manchester City's defenders.
"I have to put Gabriel [Magalhaes] from Arsenal," the Frenchman told Prime Casino. "I have to put him in my top three centre-backs at this moment in time because he scores some very important goals for Arsenal as well as being an excellent defender.
"I will put Ibrahima Konate in my top three, too. He's been excellent for Liverpool this season.
"And the last one, I would have liked to put Saliba, but he's been making too many mistakes recently. He isn't playing his best football right now, so I can't say that he is one of the best three centre backs after eight games in the Premier League.
Get involved! Who are the best three defenders in the Premier League? Tell us your picks in the comments section.
Gabriel Magalhaes is a threat in both boxes
William Saliba was sent off against Bournemouth
Catherine Ivill -
"I'm going to have to go with Josko Gvardiol. I know that he plays most of his games at left back, but he's a centre-back really, and I think he's an excellent player."
Interestingly, though, Gallas would prefer to watch Gvardiol's team-mate at City, John Stones, over any other player in the league. "I will always choose a defender when looking at players that I want to watch or would pay money to watch. At the moment, the man I would like to see is John Stones," the 47-year-old continued.
Ibrahima Konate has started the season strongly for Liverpool
Catherine Ivill -
Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol can play at centre-back and left-back
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"I like to watch him, how he plays. His desire, to win, to score. It’s not the first time he scored a last-minute goal for his team. He's a centre back, but he can play in the middle. He's not afraid to play a part in the offensive game. There's a lot of rotation in that Man City squad, when he plays, he's always reliable.
"He always gives you a good performance and, sometimes, we know that is not easy to play one game and then be on the bench for two or three games. Some players need to play every game to feel good. John Stones, it doesn't matter when he's in the starting eleven. His performance is always good. I like him."
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