Griedge Mbock absent again, Bonadei not planning to strip France armband | OneFootball

Griedge Mbock will miss France’s final camp of the season with another injury, yet Laurent Bonadei is not planning to strip her of the captaincy, according to L'Équipe. She will sit out June qualifiers in Poland on 5 June and in Grenoble against the Republic of Ireland on 9 June.

Appointed on 29 May 2025 in Nancy as Wendie Renard’s successor, the 31-year-old, on 98 caps and nine goals, took the armband before the Euro in Switzerland.

Her tournament was bleak, a calf problem restricting her to one Euro 2025 outing, the quarter-final loss to Germany, 1-1 then 5-6 on penalties. She then missed the Nations League semi-final first leg in Düsseldorf, 0-1, and the start of 2027 World Cup qualifying, in Ireland, 2-1, and against Poland, 4-1.

Having returned in April against the Netherlands, 1-2 and 1-1, she is sidelined with a minor ligament issue picked up versus Paris FC 15 days ago. It is not considered serious, but caution prevails, and a test on Wednesday showed lingering pain and fragility.

Her absence forces a rethink at centre-back amid worrying recent performances from Maëlle Lakrar. The armband will rotate between vice-captains Grace Geyoro and Sakina Karchaoui, as it did in March.

Bonadei is not considering removing the role, highlighting her leadership, calm and experience within the group.

He even weighed bringing her into camp despite the injury, but with five players one booking from a ban, Karchaoui, Baltimore, Le Moguédec, Geyoro and De Almeida, he cannot spare a slot. Mbock has been invited to spend a day with the squad in the first three days to share her positive energy as France push to reclaim top spot in the group, which carries direct qualification to the 2027 World Cup.

Source: L'Équipe