Chelsea target Maxence Lacroix to replace William Saliba for Norway v France | OneFootball

France international centre-back will be rested for Friday’s night 2026 World Cup group stage game against Norway, Guy Stéphan has confirmed today. Didier Deschamps’ assistant will take charge of Les Bleus with the France national team manager having returned to France for the funeral of his mother, who passed away. Deschamps is expected to link up with his squad in Boston on Saturday.

France have qualified for the knockout stage after back-to-back wins against Senegal (3-1) and Iraq (3-0). Should Les Bleus draw or win against Norway, they will win Group I. But they won’t rely on Saliba against Erling Haaland and his teammates. “William won’t be here tomorrow“, Stéphan said.

The father of QPR head coach Julien Stéphan stopped short at revealing who would fill in for him, but he clearly hinted that Maxence Lacroix would be the one: “Just look at who replaced him in the last few games.”

The Crystal Palace centre-back, who is of serious interest for Chelsea, notably came on for Saliba in France’s last warm-up match against Northern Ireland.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval