Thuram Drops Out of France Squad Due to Ankle Injury 

Inter Milan's French forward #09 Marcus Thuram celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on March 11, 2025. (AFP)
Inter Milan's French forward #09 Marcus Thuram celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on March 11, 2025. (AFP)
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Thuram Drops Out of France Squad Due to Ankle Injury 

Inter Milan's French forward #09 Marcus Thuram celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on March 11, 2025. (AFP)
Inter Milan's French forward #09 Marcus Thuram celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on March 11, 2025. (AFP)

France forward Marcus Thuram will miss their two-legged Nations League quarter-final against Croatia due to an ankle injury, the French Football Federation said in a statement late on Monday.

The 27-year-old Inter Milan striker, named in Didier Deschamp's 24-man squad last week, said after Inter's 4-1 aggregate win over Feyenoord in the Champions League last 16 that he had been playing through the injury for the past month.

The first leg against Croatia is in Split on Thursday and the return game at the Stade de France on March 23.



Real Sociedad Appoint Francisco to Replace Alguacil as Manager from Next Season

Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)
Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)
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Real Sociedad Appoint Francisco to Replace Alguacil as Manager from Next Season

Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)
Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil gestures during the Spanish LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and Real Sociedad, in Vitoria, Spain, 13 April 2025. (EPA)

Real Sociedad have appointed their reserve team coach Sergio Francisco as manager from next season to replace Imanol Alguacil who is stepping down at the end of the current campaign, the LaLiga club said on Friday.

Alguacil, in charge since 2018, won the Copa del Rey in 2020 and took Real to European football for five successive seasons. He informed the club on Thursday that he will leave the role at the end of the season, when his contract expires.

The club have again decided to appoint from within, and Francisco, who like Alguacil, began his playing career at Real, has managed their C and B teams since 2017, having previously taken charge of Real Union in Spain's third tier.

Francisco, 45, has signed a deal until 2027, and will take charge of the reserves for the final time on Saturday before dedicating himself to planning for next season.

Real are 10th in the LaLiga standings on 42 points and still in with a chance of qualifying for Europe once again.