Coach Corinne Deacon did not retain her captain Wendie Renard on Thursday, injured in a calf, for the first rally of the season for the French women's team, deprived of striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, injured in a knee.
Unexpectedly absent from this list for the last two qualifying matches for the 2023 World Cup, for which the Blue are already qualified, Renard (32 years old, 136 caps) is ruled out due to a calf injury
"I didn't see the point of taking the slightest risk," she said at a press conference on Thursday.
The Lyonnaise is replaced by the Parisian Élisa de Almeida, 24 years old and 14 selections, regularly called up in recent months.
Seriously injured in a knee during the Euro this summer in England, Katoto is the other absent mark of the return of the Blue, who go to Estonia on September 2 (5 p.m.) and receive Greece four days later in Sedan (8:45 p.m.).
The list of 2️⃣3️⃣ Bleues for this first gathering of the season!
2 matches on the program:
🇪🇪🇫🇷 on 02/09
🇫🇷🇬🇷 on 06/09 #FiersdetreBleues pic.twitter.com/KKvx12Y2ce
– Team France Women (@equipedefranceF) August 25, 2022
She is replaced by the Rémoise Kessya Bussy, who totaled three selections at 21, the last dating back to October 2021. Having validated their ticket for this World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after a faultless run in the playoffs (eight wins in eight games), the French will approach this stage in the continuity of the Euro, finished in the semi-final against Germany (2-1).
Thus, all the other expected executives are well remembered, from striker Kadidiatou Diani to midfielder Grace Geyoro.
Unsurprisingly, Eugénie Le Sommer, Amandine Henry and Kheira Hamraoui, already absent from the Euro in July, are not on this list.
Of the 23 players called up, 21 were already present during the Euro.
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