Upamecano leaves the Blues, squad seeks replacement before Turkey

The November gathering is always a headache for Zinedine Zidane and his staff. The day after a 3‑1 defeat in Italy, at the San Siro, in the Nations League, the Tricolours record a new departure in their ranks. Dayot Upamecano officially left the group this Friday for personal reasons, with the agreement of manager Zinedine Zidane.

Departure and impact on the squad

The 28‑year‑old central defender immediately joined Munich, where he plays for Bayern, and will not be numerically replaced before the Turkey match on Sunday evening in Bordeaux. This departure comes after a particularly taxing sporting evening for the 2022 vice‑world champion. Starting in the right side of the central pivot alongside Jérémy Jacquet on Thursday night, the former Leipzig player played the entire match but appeared out of sorts. Often put under pressure in the impact of duels and imprecise in his first passes, he mainly hastened the fall of the French side by conceding a penalty a quarter of an hour before the end, converted by Pio Esposito for the Italian goal in the 75th minute.

Absences and defensive options

For Zinedine Zidane, the absence of one of his defensive pillars adds to an already substantial casualty list during this international break. Even before the kick‑off of the gathering, the French staff had to cope with the absences of Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Pierre Kalulu and Maghnes Akliouche. To this list has been added the uncertainty surrounding Kylian Mbappé. Held out against the Nazionale due to a physical niggle, the captain of the Blues is nonetheless hoped for the final day of the group stage.

Dayot Upamecano returns to Munich after France's defeat in Italy

“I hope he will be ready for Sunday. That was the plan, that he can rest today and have the possibility to play on Sunday,” Zidane said Thursday evening at the press conference. To compensate for Dayot Upamecano’s withdrawal against the Turks this Sunday at 20:45, the manager will have to draw from his internal resources among the remaining 22 players. Besides Jérémy Jacquet, who started in Milan, the coach has two natural alternatives in the pivot: Leny Yoro and Ibrahima Konaté. Riding a strong club momentum in the colors of Real Madrid, Ibrahima Konaté appears as the logical favourite to take up the mantle in central defence.

Bayern star Dayot Upamecano leaves France – team without him