Sent off against Italy, Upamecano leaves France squad before Belgium match

Dayot Upamecano will not play in the final match of this international window against Belgium. The Bayern Munich centre-back received a red card Friday evening during the 1-1 draw with Italy, resulting in an automatic suspension for the next fixture.

The former Valenciennes player left his teammates down to ten from the 85th minute, sanctioned with a second yellow card for pulling the shirt of Moise Keane. He had already received a first yellow card in the 73rd minute for a dispute with Como striker. It should be noted that the suspension would have been effective anyway: Upamecano had already received a caution in the first match in Turkey, and the accumulation of yellow cards would have forced him to miss the match against the Red Devils.

This early departure is a blow for Zinédine Zidane, who loses the player who had established himself as the leader of his central defence. France began this gathering with 23 players, but will have only 21 against Belgium: Kylian Mbappé, injured in Turkey, had already left the group without being replaced.

To compensate for Upamecano’s absence, Zidane has several options. Jérémy Jacquet and Maxence Lacroix, who shared playing time with the Munich defender during the first three matches, could be paired in central defence, as they were in the away match in Brussels. Lény Yoro, a centre-back by trade, is also available in the squad, as is Jules Koundé, capable of playing in the middle. Upamecano will return to Bayern Munich to prepare for the trip to Augsburg in the Bundesliga.