Sports
France's national football team coach, Zinedine Zidane, has encountered a new setback during the team's training camp ahead of the UEFA Nations League matches, following the announcement of Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni's exclusion from the squad. This absence adds to previous injuries within the team, as Pierre Kalulu and Marcus Thuram were also sidelined, complicating the coaching staff's preparations ahead of the upcoming two matches. The French Football Federation stated that Tchouaméni is suffering from pain in his right adductor muscle, which appeared during training sessions at the Clairefontaine center, preventing him from completing sessions normally. The statement indicated that the player had been experiencing this issue since the beginning of the camp, and coordination took place between the national team's medical staff and their counterparts at Real Madrid, leading to an agreement for the player to return to his club for further medical follow-up. Tchouaméni is expected to spend the night with his teammates at the camp before departing to Madrid the following day, with no specified duration for his absence from the field. Unlike previous cases, Zidane decided not to call up a replacement for Tchouaméni, whereas Saïl Kompany and Junior Kroubi were summoned to cover for Kalulu and Thuram respectively. This injury continues a recurring muscular problem in the same area that had previously kept Tchouaméni out of the national team camp in September, before his return to the current squad. The French team is preparing to face Italy on Thursday, November 12, followed by a home match against Turkey on Sunday, November 15, as part of the UEFA Nations League, with Zidane aiming to maintain the team's momentum despite the successive absences.
