STRASBOURG, France: France replaced injured midfielders N'Golo Kante and Corentin Tolisso with Matteo Guendouzi and Adrien Rabiot on Wednesday for this month's three World Cup qualifiers.
The French Football Federation said Chelsea's Kante has not "fully recovered" from a left ankle injury while Bayern Munich's Tolisso was suffering from "a muscular injury in the left calf".
Les Bleus are top of Group C after three rounds of games.
They kick off a week of matches at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in Strasbourg before visiting Kiev to play second-placed Ukraine on Saturday and hosting Finland in Lyon on September 7.
Guendouzi and Rabiot will miss Wednesday's game and join the squad in Strasbourg early on Thursday.
Rabiot, who has 19 caps, was not initially called up by Didier Deschamps because he was not in the Juventus squad for their Serie A season opener, but after the France squad was announced he started against Empoli on Saturday.
Deschamps called up Guendouzi twice in 2019 but he did not make the team. The 22-year-old has made a strong start to the season at Marseille where he is on loan from Arsenal and scored against Saint-Etienne on Saturday.
For Wednesday's match, Deschamps still has Paul Pogba and Thomas Lemar as well as uncapped newcomers Jordan Veretout and Aurelien Tchouameni as midfield options.
France replace injured Kante, Tolisso with Guendouzi, Rabiot
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France replace injured Kante, Tolisso with Guendouzi, Rabiot
- French Football Federation said Chelsea's Kante has not "fully recovered" from a left ankle injury
- Les Bleus are top of Group C after three rounds of games
King Fahd Stadium to host 2027 Asian Cup final
- Popularly known as “The Tent” because of its roof, inspired by a traditional Bedouin dwelling, the stadium is the largest of the eight venues hosting the soccer showpiece
KUALA LUMPUR: Riyadh’s King Fahd Sport City Stadium will host the opening and closing matches of next year’s Asian Cup, officials announced Monday, the football showpiece seen as a precursor for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was awarded the World Cup but first will host the Asian Cup from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027.
“The King Fahd Sports City Stadium ... will provide the backdrop for both the eagerly anticipated final as well as the opening match, featuring hosts and three-time Asian champions Saudi Arabia,” the AFC said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur.
The 70,000-plus venue in Riyadh will also host four group stage battles, a round of 16 tie and a quarterfinal match before the final in early February, the AFC added.
Popularly known as “The Tent” because of its roof, inspired by a traditional Bedouin dwelling, the stadium is the largest of the eight venues hosting the soccer showpiece.
Asian Cup matches will also be played in Jeddah and Alkhobar.
Match pairings and kickoff times will be confirmed at the AFC’s final draw on April 11 in Riyadh, the AFC said.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, staged and won the Asian Cup two years ago.
The tournament was supposed to take place in China in 2023, but was moved out of the country because of the country’s COVID policies at the time.
