Injured players Desiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé have departed from France's squad, while Kingsley Coman has been summoned to strengthen the team
French National Team Suffers Injury Blow Ahead of World Cup Qualifiers
Two key players, Ousmane Dembélé and Desire Doué, have been ruled out of the French national team's upcoming matches, including the World Cup 2026 qualifier against Iceland on September 9, due to injuries sustained during the first qualifying match against Ukraine on September 5.
The injuries to both players were confirmed by the French Football Federation on September 6. Ousmane Dembélé, who was already nursing an injury in his left thigh before the match, played until the 81st minute before limping off the field with an injury to his right thigh. The nature of the injury has been diagnosed as a tear in his right hamstring.
Desire Doué, on the other hand, sustained a tear in his right calf soleus during the same match. The specific nature of the 20-year-old midfielder's calf discomfort during the match was not specified in the report.
The injuries to Dembélé and Doué come as a blow to the French team, which had shown an offensive transformation under the leadership of Didier Deschamps, starting the match against Ukraine with four forwards. Dembélé had replaced the midfielder at halftime due to calf discomfort, and Kingsley Coman was called in as a reinforcement.
Both injured players will not return to Clairefontaine immediately and will instead join their club, PSG, to continue their recovery. This means they will miss the upcoming matches, including PSG's Champions League game on September 17, 2025. As a result, they will also be unable to participate in the second round of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The French Football Federation has not yet announced any replacements for the injured players. The team will look to regroup and prepare for the upcoming matches without their key players.
Read also:
- Recognition of Exceptional Patient Care: Top Staff Honored by Medical Center Board
- A continuous command instructing an entity to halts all actions, repeated numerous times.
- California Senator Kamala Harris announces she will not seek the governorship in 2026, instead hinting at future professional ventures.
- Survey on Life Prolongation Methods
