Antoine Griezmann has stopped playing for the French national team. Kylian Mbappé is not available because he is dealing with a minor thigh injury in Madrid.
As France prepares for Nations League games against Israel and Belgium, the team lacks experienced leaders.
“The lack of experience doesn’t help,” France coach Didier Deschamps said this week.
Mbappé usually serves as captain, while Griezmann, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from international play last month, was the vice-captain. They both helped lead France to victory in the 2018 World Cup and were key players for Deschamps in recent years.
Deschamps has not yet decided who will be the captain for the upcoming matches.
“The end of Antoine’s international career and Kylian’s absence, that leaves room,” Deschamps mentioned. “The group is obviously younger, with less experience.”
Veteran midfielder N’Golo Kanté will not be the captain, as he was left out of the team due to an adductor injury. Experienced defender Dayot Upamecano, who has played 27 times for France, also had to pull out because of a right thigh injury.
Deschamps stated that he will choose a player who can handle the responsibility of being captain without changing their approach or affecting their performance.
Following a disappointing European Championship where the team reached the semifinals without good play, France needs strong and convincing results. Their previous Nations League games were mixed—losing to Italy but winning against Belgium.
Italy is ahead of France and Belgium in their group by three points after two rounds. France will face Israel on Thursday and then play in Belgium four days later.
Mbappé, who has scored 48 goals for France, did not score against Italy or Belgium, and Deschamps later noted that he hadn’t been playing like himself during the international break.
