Lucas Digne Ruled Out as Another Injury Hits France

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
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Lucas Digne Ruled Out as Another Injury Hits France

Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Aston Villa v Southampton - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - September 16, 2022 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Lucas Digne celebrate after the match. (Reuters)

A host of injuries have struck France in the leadup to a pair of Nations League matches later this week.

The French football federation on Tuesday added Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne to a long list of injured players ahead of matches against Austria and Denmark.

France coach Didier Deschamps has called up Rennes left-back Adrien Truffert as a replacement for Digne, who has a problem with his right ankle, the federation said.

Digne had been a late addition to the training camp, having joined his teammates on Monday after AC Milan defender Théo Hernandez was withdrawn from the squad because of a torn adductor muscle.

France captain Hugo Lloris has also been ruled out of the games, because of a right thigh injury, and replaced by Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont.

France plays Austria on Thursday and travels to Copenhagen three days later to take on Denmark.

Les Bleus face relegation to the second tier of the Nations League. The defending champions are in last place in Group 1 with two points from four games. Denmark leads with nine.

On Saturday, Marseille midfielder Jordan Veretout was called up as a replacement for the injured Boubacar Kamara, the day after Kamara had replaced Adrien Rabiot.

Deschamps also needs to deal with the absence of several other players including Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté.



Saudi National Team to Participate in 2025, 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cups

The Saudi Arabian national football team will compete at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025 and 2027. (AFP/File Photo)
The Saudi Arabian national football team will compete at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025 and 2027. (AFP/File Photo)
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Saudi National Team to Participate in 2025, 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cups

The Saudi Arabian national football team will compete at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025 and 2027. (AFP/File Photo)
The Saudi Arabian national football team will compete at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025 and 2027. (AFP/File Photo)

The Saudi national football team will participate in the 2025 and 2027 editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, starting with the upcoming tournament hosted by the United States and Canada from June 14 to July 6, 2025, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.
The Saudi team joins the other eight teams that have already secured their spots for the 2025 Gold Cup: Canada, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and the United States. The remaining seven teams will be determined through qualifiers scheduled for March 2025, while the tournament draw will take place on April 10, 2025.
The 2025 Gold Cup will be held across 14 stadiums in 11 cities in the United States and Canada, including five venues that will also host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, Yasser Al Misehal, said Saudi football has achieved prestigious international status thanks to the constant support of the Kingdom’s leadership.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the minister of sports for providing all resources to strengthen Saudi football's global standing.
He also said that the participation of the Saudi national team in this prestigious tournament aligns with the plans to develop the team, especially as the tournament will be held a year before the 2026 World Cup in the United States and Canada. Mexico also is hosting World Cup matches.