Zinédine Zidane called Aurélien Tchouaméni before leaving him out of France squad | OneFootball

Zinédine Zidane and Aurélien Tchouaméni agreed before the latest France squad was named that the Real Madrid midfielder would miss this camp for fitness reasons.

L'Équipe reports that Tchouaméni’s omission from the 23 on Friday was viewed as a surprise. Zidane later pointed to a near two-month lay-off, only 120 minutes played and a single start, adding it was better for him to stay in Madrid and continue preparing.

Days before the announcement, the new France head coach phoned to gauge how the player felt and whether he could meet the demands of four internationals.

Tchouaméni said he lacked rhythm after an adductor injury delayed his club return by several weeks. Zidane asked if it was best not to rush, and the 50-cap international agreed.

The decision not to include him among the six midfielders was therefore circumstantial rather than a change of direction. The pair pencilled in November, with Italy in Milan on 12 and Türkiye in Bordeaux on 15, and the midfielder will need to regain sharpness and performance levels fitting his status.

Source: L'Équipe

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