The France national team travels to Turkey for a UEFA Nations League match on Friday evening, handling a patchy run of form and a significant injury list. Didier Deschamps will be without several key defenders as his side looks to recover from two consecutive home defeats this summer.
A reshuffled defence
William Saliba and Theo Hernández are both ruled out for the trip, sidelined with back and muscle injuries respectively. Their absence forces the manager to rethink his starting lineup. Midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery is also missing with a thigh problem. In attack, Hugo Ekitiké and Jean-Philippe Mateta are unavailable, limiting France's options up front. These setbacks come after the team conceded ten goals in their last two home games, a 0-2 loss to Spain and a 4-6 defeat by England in July.
Mixed recent form
Despite those two recent losses, France's overall record remains strong. They currently sit top of their World Cup qualifying group with nine points from three games. Their last away win was a 1-0 victory in Paraguay on July 4th. Kylian Mbappé, the team's top scorer this season with ten goals, will be the focal point in reigniting the attack. The upcoming fixtures show this trip to Turkey is a key test before the October international break.
Turkey, meanwhile, are on a five-match unbeaten run but also have a lengthy injury list, including midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu. The France manager told reporters his squad must respond after the disappointing summer performances. The fitness of the remaining players, will be key. The challenge is to rediscover defensive stability while relying on an attack that has scored ten goals in three qualifiers. The match will be played at the Turkish national stadium.
