Ferland Mendy withdraws from France squad due to tibial pain

Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy has been forced to pull out of the France squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers due to a tibial injury.

Mendy, along with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, was initially included in Didier Deschamps’ 23-man squad for the matches against Gibraltar and Greece, but he has been replaced by Marseille midfielder Jordan Veretout. Mendy’s absence is a setback for France.

Mendy’s injury also brings into question Eduardo Camavinga’s positioning for the upcoming games. Given that Mendy was replaced by Veretout, a midfielder, it could mean Camavinga now has a higher chance to move from central midfield to left-back.

Mendy will hope to recover in time to feature for Real Madrid’s pre-season tour in the US, as there will be no other games to participate beyond France’s two Euro qualifiers, and he’ll take some much needed time to heal.