Tchouaméni's return threatens Camavinga's place in Zidane's France squad

Eduardo Camavinga could be the first casualty of Aurélien Tchouaméni’s return to the France team. While Zinédine Zidane has just unveiled his first squad list as manager for four Ligue des Nations matches, the Real Madrid midfielder is included in the group, but his teammate Tchouaméni is absent — and his imminent return is already reshuffling the cards.

Tchouaméni was ruled out for medical reasons. “He stopped for practically two months, he only played once as a starter. For his recovery process, it was better for him to stay in Madrid. We have four important matches to play. It was the best for him,” Zidane explained when announcing the squad. The midfielder nevertheless returned to action since September 8: a few minutes against Inter in the Ligue des Champions, an appearance against Rayo Vallecano, then his first start of the season on the pitch at Elche.

This gradual return at Real Madrid suggests a rapid reintegration into the France team, probably from the November squad onwards. And that is precisely where the situation becomes tricky for Camavinga. Underused at club since the start of the season, the former Rennes player had already missed the last World Cup. His presence in this first Zidane gathering does not guarantee he will remain: with Tchouaméni expected to return and dense competition in midfield, he will need to quickly make a greater impact at Real Madrid to keep his place in the France squad.

The question also arises for Luca Da Cunha, called up for the first time in this list, whose longer-term status remains uncertain given the depth of the sector. Zidane, who took over from Didier Deschamps after fourteen years in charge, chose from the outset to mark his era with several new faces — but the coming weeks will tell whether these choices stand up to the test of injury returns.