Overview

• France’s defense has been ravaged by injuries to Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Jules Koundé, leading to call-ups for Clément Lenglet, Loïc Badé and Lucas Hernandez.
• Only two full squad trainings were held after seven players returned late from the Champions League final, constraining tactical work ahead of Thursday’s match in Stuttgart.
• Deschamps has confirmed Kylian Mbappé will captain and start, with Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué undergoing fitness checks after PSG’s celebrations.
• Ibrahima Konaté will lead the press briefing, praising Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or credentials and warning teammates about Lamine Yamal’s game-changing threat.
• Rayan Cherki earns his first senior call-up, offering Didier Deschamps a fresh creative spark in midfield for France’s truncated squad.