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Saudis Face Lebanon, Palestine and Hong Kong Friendlies before Asian Cup

The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
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Saudis Face Lebanon, Palestine and Hong Kong Friendlies before Asian Cup

The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.
The Saudi team prepares for the 2023 West Asian Federation Junior Cup Championship.

Saudi Arabia will play friendlies against Lebanon, Palestine and Hong Kong before the Asian cup, which starts in Qatar next month, the Saudi soccer football federation said on Sunday.
All three matches will be held in Doha, Qatar, where the Saudi national team, led by Italian coach Roberto Mancini, will hold a camp from Dec. 31 to Jan. 11, Reuters said.
The Saudi team will play against Lebanon on Jan. 4, Palestine on Jan. 9, then face Hong Kong the following day.
Three times Asian Cup champions Saudi Arabia will play in Group F with Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Oman.
Qatar will open the Asian Cup against Lebanon on Jan. 12.

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France Call up Olise again as Mbappe Rested for Nations League games

Soccer Football - Nations League - League A - Group 2 - France v Italy - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - September 6, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
Soccer Football - Nations League - League A - Group 2 - France v Italy - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - September 6, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
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France Call up Olise again as Mbappe Rested for Nations League games

Soccer Football - Nations League - League A - Group 2 - France v Italy - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - September 6, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
Soccer Football - Nations League - League A - Group 2 - France v Italy - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - September 6, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo

France have again called up Michael Olise as they prepare for this month's Nations League games against Israel and Belgium without Kylian Mbappe who has been struggling with injury.

The 22-year-old English-born midfielder won his first two caps against Italy and Belgium last month and in the absence of midfielder Antoine Griezmann, who announced his retirement from international football earlier this week, the Bayern Munich player was once more picked by Didier Deschamps on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Captain Mbappe, who picked up a muscle injury last month playing for Real Madrid in LaLiga, featured for 35 minutes in the club's 1-0 Champions League loss at Lille on Wednesday, but the forward was not deemed fit enough for international duty.

"He has a problem that is not serious. I'm not here to take risks, which is why Kylian isn't on the list," Deschamps told a press conference.

Chelsea striker Christopher Nkunku was also called up 15 months after claiming his last cap in a 1-0 win against Greece.

France are second in Group A2 with three points from two games, three points behind Italy. They face Israel in Budapest on Oct. 10 and Belgium in Brussels four days later.