Although Warren Zaïre-Emery was one of three Paris Saint-Germain players called up to the French national team for the September international break—which begins this Monday—he has ultimately withdrawn due to an adductor injury. The 20-year-old midfielder is being replaced by Maghnes Akliouche (a 24-year-old midfielder/forward). Akliouche joins Ousmane Dembélé (29-year-old forward) and Désiré Doué (21-year-old midfielder/forward) in the squad.
This is disappointing news for Zaïre-Emery, who surely wanted to use this first call-up under new head coach Zinedine Zidane to make a strong impression. We are also waiting to learn the expected recovery time; ideally, it will be short so he doesn’t miss upcoming action with PSG. Let’s hope this is primarily a precautionary measure involving rest, allowing him to resume the season pain-free.
At the very least, this offers an opportunity for Akliouche to shine; he might well have been disappointed not to be called up to the national team earlier, despite having participated in the World Cup. Here’s hoping he makes a positive impression for the future.
