The French national team returned to practice Saturday afternoon after a day off following their World Cup quarterfinal win over Morocco. And while the mood at their base camp outside Boston was mostly positive, there were two notable absences on the field.
William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, France’s starting center-back partnership, both sat out the session. That’s a detail worth tracking given they’re facing Spain in the semifinal on Tuesday.
Saliba’s Back Issue Is Nothing New
Saliba has been dealing with a lingering back problem throughout the tournament. The France medical staff have been managing his workload carefully, holding him out of multiple practices to keep him fresh for match days. So his absence Saturday wasn’t a surprise to anyone inside the camp. It’s more of a maintenance thing than a red flag.
Upamecano Getting a Breather Too
Upamecano was also held out, and according to L’Équipe, it’s related to load management. More specifically, the Bayern Munich defender has been dealing with some foot pain. Nothing that’s reportedly threatening his availability for the semifinal, but enough that the staff decided to give him a rest day.
At this point, both players are expected to be good to go against Spain. But with a World Cup semifinal on the line, any injury news involving key starters gets extra attention.
Good News on Mbappé and Tchouaméni
The scare around Kylian Mbappé appears to be over. He went off late in the Morocco match with an ankle issue, but he was out there warming up and training Saturday without any noticeable limitations. He said after the game the knock wasn’t serious, and the fact that he was back on the field backs that up.
Aurélien Tchouaméni, who missed the quarterfinal with a thigh injury, also returned to full training. That’s a big boost for Didier Deschamps, especially in midfield where France has already dealt with several absences.
What’s Next
France will hold one more training session Sunday morning before flying to Dallas in the afternoon. That’ll likely be the final full practice before they face Spain, so it’ll be worth watching whether Saliba and Upamecano are back in the mix.
The French squad is staying at Bentley University, about 20 minutes west of downtown Boston. The setup has been low-key and functional, which seems to suit this team just fine. They’ve got their eyes on another World Cup final, and a win over Spain would put them one step away.
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