France announces a last-minute squad change, with Ekitike replacing Cherki in the national team
Ousmane Dembele's double strike in Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 victory over Toulouse was marred by an injury setback, as the forward was forced to leave the pitch holding his left hamstring. Dembele is scheduled for an MRI scan to determine the extent of the injury.
Meanwhile, the weekend fixtures presented problems for France national team coach Didier Deschamps, with key players succumbing to injuries. Arsenal defender William Saliba suffered an ankle injury during the Premier League match with Liverpool and has been ruled out. Saliba's injury occurred five minutes into the match, following a collision with striker Hugo Ekitike, who made an impressive start to his Liverpool career with three goals in three competitive outings.
Ekitike's promising form, however, did not earn him a spot in Deschamps' squad for France's opening 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Despite scoring five goals in five appearances for the France Under-21 side last season, the 23-year-old striker was controversially left out, with Deschamps considering it "too early" for him to be included amid strong competition from established forwards like Kylian Mbappé and Dembele.
City manager Pep Guardiola announced that Amine Cherki is expected to be out for two months or more due to a "torn left quadriceps" injury. Cherki, a talented player, had been unavailable for selection, leaving Deschamps with a depleted forward line.
The absence of Ekitike and potentially Dembele leaves a significant void at the No.9 position, a position that Deschamps has struggled to fill since Olivier Giroud's international retirement. Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, another member of the France squad, also limped off during a match, adding to Deschamps' concerns ahead of the qualifiers.
Benjamin Pavard has been called up to replace Saliba in the France squad. The team will be hoping that Dembele's injury is not as serious as it appears, and that Ekitike can regain his form in time for the crucial World Cup qualifiers.
