PARIS:
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has been known as as much as the French nationwide workforce for the primary time as a substitute for the injured Rayan Cherki, the French Soccer Federation (FFF) introduced on Sunday.
Earlier than Sunday’s sport with Arsenal, Ekitike had made a powerful begin to his Liverpool profession with three objectives in three aggressive outings since arriving within the close-season from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 23-year-old striker additionally scored 5 objectives in 5 appearances for the France Below-21 aspect final season.
Ekitike is a No.9, a place coach Didier Deschamps has struggled to fill since Olivier Giroud’s worldwide retirement.
But Ekitike was omitted when Deschamps introduced his squad for France’s opening 2026 World Cup qualifiers in opposition to Ukraine in Poland on Friday and in opposition to Iceland in Paris on September 9.
Cherki, who was unavailable on Sunday for Manchester Metropolis within the English Premier League, is affected by a “torn left quadriceps,” the FFF stated.
“He is out for 2 months or so,” Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola stated on Sunday after his workforce’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton.
The weekend fixtures gave Deschamps different issues.
Striker Ousmane Dembele left the pitch holding his left hamstring after scoring twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
“I felt slightly discomfort on the finish, simply earlier than coming off. I’ll have an MRI scan. We’ll see what’s incorrect. However I do not assume it is that severe. I believe it is only a precaution,” Dembele advised the Ligue 1 tv channel.
And defender William Saliba, who missed the Nations League Remaining 4 in June, is dominated out after struggling an ankle damage 5 minutes into Arsenal’s Premier League conflict with Liverpool on Sunday after a collision with Ekitike.
He’s changed by Inter Milan’s Benjamin Pavard.
One other member of the France squad, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate additionally limped off, within the 79th minute.
