The big losers from Zidane's first squad 🥶

The big losers from Zidane's first squad 🥶 Absences that already say a lot? This Friday afternoon, Zinédine Zidane unveiled his very first squad as head coach of the France national team. It featured plenty of changes, with new faces but also some notable absences! Have those left out already lost big with this squad announcement, or is there nothing to worry about, as seems to be the case with Aurélien Tchouaméni, who appears to be absent only because he recently returned from injury? Here’s an attempt to shed some light below. Brice Samba This is a first strong call from Zinédine Zidane, who seems keen to rely on youth behind Mike Maignan. And for good reason: Robin Risser, France’s third-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup, has been called up again, while the second-choice keeper is dropped in favor of young Guillaume Restes (21). While things can still change, it very much looks like the end of the road with Les Bleus for the Stade Rennais goalkeeper. 📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors The Hernandez brothers Here too, all the signs point to the end of the adventure with Les Bleus for Lucas and Théo Hernandez. A regular under Deschamps, Lucas Hernandez is surely paying for his backup role and inconsistent performances at PSG. As for his brother, now playing in Saudi Arabia, he already seemed to be running out of steam at the 2026 World Cup. Zidane’s choices are not reassuring for Théo Hernandez either. The France coach selected two newcomers for the left-back spot, including one who is naturally a midfielder (Adrien Truffet and Andy Diouf). 📸 FRANCK FIFE Marcus Thuram This is one of the absences that could prove costly. Zinédine Zidane explained that he did not want an oversized squad, and Thuram is the one paying the price most of all. A regular in the France setup under Didier Deschamps, the AC Milan forward never really managed to find his place on the pitch and now sees Estéban Lepaul move ahead of him. While nothing is set in stone, Marcus Thuram will have to work hard to earn his way back into the France squad. 📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors Maghnes Akliouche When it came time to decide, Zinédine Zidane chose not to include him, even though he was part of the squad at the 2026 World Cup. Despite making a good impression for PSG since the start of the season, Maghnes Akliouche is paying the price for the coach’s desire to keep a smaller group for this first international break. ZZ did still indicate that the forward remains “eligible for selection” 📸 Mattia Ozbot - 2026 Getty Images Malo Gusto Despite being a starter for Chelsea and enjoying a good start to the season, the full-back saw another name move ahead of him. To back up Jules Koundé, the new France coach chose Pierre Kalulu. Should Gusto see this as a warning about the kind of profile Zidane is looking for on the right flank? Pierre Kalulu appears to be a much more defensive profile than the former Lyon player, and that could weigh heavily in the balance over the long term. 📸 FRANCK FIFE - AFP or licensors This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.