Facing Portugal this Tuesday in the Nations League, the France team will have to do without its two star attackers.
Four days after dominating Austria in Rennes, the Blues meet in Portugal on Tuesday to close the group stage of the League of Nations. A match that the Tricolores will have to tackle without Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani.
The two French points are affected in one thigh – a muscular discomfort felt in both cases which pushes the Bleues staff not to take any risks; and an unfortunate setback for Katoto, who had just found the net on an international level, after 18 months spent on the sidelines of the France team.
Three players called in for reinforcements
To compensate for these two absences, Hervé Renard chose to recall Melvine Malard, but also two more defenders to complete his group: Hillary Diaz and Thiniba Samoura, two players previously confined to the U23s. A strategic choice thus explained by the coach: “ We were able to follow the UEFA regulations which indicate that players under threat of a second yellow card on Tuesday would be deprived of the semi-final of the Final Four. We have six players (Elisa De Almeida, Amandine Henry, Léa Le Garrec, Eugénie Le Sommer, Griedge MBock and Wendie Renard) in this situation and I wanted to multiply my options to avoid any risk of suspension even though our qualification is assured before the match against Portugal. »
