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.



Four Players Advance to Semi-Finals of Next Generation ATP Finals

The event is organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals - SPA
The event is organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals - SPA
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Four Players Advance to Semi-Finals of Next Generation ATP Finals

The event is organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals - SPA
The event is organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals - SPA

The group stage of the Next Generation ATP Finals concluded at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, the tournament's second edition hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the event is supervised by the Ministry of Sports and sponsored by the Public Investment Fund.

According to SPA, the matches drew a significant audience, underscoring the growing popularity of tennis in the Kingdom.
The final day of the group stage confirmed the semi-finalists from the red and blue groups. French player Luca Van Assche secured his spot alongside red group leader Alex Michelsen of the US.

In the blue group, American Learner Tien triumphed over Frenchman Arthur Fils, to claim the runner-up position, joining Brazilian Joao Fonseca, the group leader.
The semi-finals, scheduled for today, feature Alex Michelsen facing Tien in an all-American clash, while Fonseca will take on Van Assche. The winners of these matches will advance to the final, set to take place tomorrow.
The tournament has showcased exceptional talent and reinforced Saudi Arabia's commitment to hosting world-class sporting events.