Dayot Upamecano leaves France squad after Italy red card

18:45

Dayot Upamecano has left the France national team camp after his sending-off against Italy, ending his involvement in Zinédine Zidane’s first international window as head coach before Monday’s decisive Nations League meeting with Belgium.

The Bayern Munich centre-back was dismissed in the closing stages of Friday’s 1-1 draw at the Stade de France after receiving a second yellow card in the 85th minute. The French Football Federation subsequently confirmed that he had been released from the squad and would return to his club.

Suspension rules Upamecano out of Belgium clash

Upamecano’s dismissal automatically rules him out of France’s next Nations League fixture. He will therefore miss Monday’s encounter with Belgium at the Stade de France, where Zidane’s side will look to close the international break with another strong result.

The defender had remained on the field for most of the match against Italy before his second booking. His first yellow card came earlier in the game, while the decisive incident occurred when he committed a foul on Italy forward Moïse Kean.

With his suspension confirmed, the French staff opted to make him available to Bayern Munich rather than keep him with the national team. Upamecano left the France camp at Clairefontaine on Saturday morning.

France lose another player during Zidane’s first camp

Upamecano’s departure further reduces Zidane’s options at the end of his first international gathering in charge of Les Bleus.

France initially began the window with a 23-man squad. Kylian Mbappé had already left the group after sustaining a knee problem during the match against Türkiye on September 25. With Upamecano now unavailable because of suspension, the French squad is down to 21 players for the Belgium fixture.

The situation puts additional focus on France’s defensive options ahead of the final match of the window. Maxence Lacroix and Jérémy Jacquet are among the players available to Zidane as he prepares to reorganize his back line.

France remain top after Italy draw

The 1-1 draw with Italy ended France’s winning start under Zidane. Les Bleus had previously defeated Türkiye and Belgium by 1-0 scorelines during the opening rounds of the Nations League. UEFA recorded France’s victories over Türkiye and Belgium before the draw with Italy.

Michael Olise put France ahead against Italy, but Alessandro Bastoni equalized to earn Roberto Mancini’s team a point. Upamecano’s late dismissal added another complication to an evening in which France were unable to preserve their perfect record.

Elsewhere in the group, Belgium defeated Türkiye 3-0, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice. Following three rounds, France sit first with seven points, Belgium have six and Italy four, while Türkiye remain without a point.

France will now turn their attention to Belgium, with Zidane facing the task of reshaping his squad after a series of absences and closing his first international window with another demanding Nations League test.