France’s Nations League campaign has hit a fresh hurdle.
Marcus Thuram is out of the upcoming fixtures against Italy and Turkey after sustaining a right hamstring injury during Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over Como this past Sunday. The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed the withdrawal on Tuesday, forcing manager Zinédine Zidane to scramble for reinforcements as his squad depth is tested to its limits.
Thuram’s absence is the latest blow in a mounting casualty list. The forward joins a crowded medical room that already includes William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Ousmane Dembélé, Maghnès Akliouche, Manu Koné, and Esteban Lepaul.
Pierre Kalulu was also sidelined earlier, requiring the emergency call-up of Saël Kumbedi. According to sports.orange.fr, the number of unavailable players makes the final two group stage matches difficult for Zidane.
The FFF opted to release the Inter Milan forward after a brief period of observation yielded little progress. In a statement, the federation explained the rationale: “This persistent discomfort prevented him from taking part in training on Monday, and he remained in care.
In the absence of improvement this morning, and after examinations, in agreement with Inter and the player, the staff of the Blues decided to make him available to his club again.”
To fill the vacancy, Zidane has turned to Bournemouth forward Éli Junior Kroupi. At 20 years old, Kroupi receives his first senior national team call-up, marking a swift return to prominence following a five-month injury layoff.
“I have always played for the French team in the youth ranks,” Kroupi said. “I was born in France, I started playing football in France. I don’t see myself going into a culture I don’t know. The French team is the goal.”
France faces a pressurized conclusion to the Nations League group phase without a core group of its stars. The team travels to face Italy at San Siro this Thursday before returning home to host Turkey in Bordeaux on Sunday. For Zidane, the focus now shifts to integrating new faces like Kroupi into a lineup that has been stripped of its established starters.
Keep reading