French media "League" reported that in response to Cherki's almost certain absence and Ottoman Dembele's injury on Saturday, the French coaching staff prepared sufficient alternatives for the two World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine on September 5 and Iceland on September 9. Whether it’s Ekitic, Gondozi or other players, the choice depends on the specific position you want.
What can be determined by the candidate is that you need to wait for a while. Three months ago, Cherki was outstanding when he was selected for the national team for the first time in the European League semi-finals against Spain (4-5), but now he is unable to participate in the training camp starting Monday afternoon. The Manchester City striker missed Sunday's game against Brighton due to a thigh muscle strain and was unable to participate in this training session.
Faced with this possible absence, the French coaching staff has quite a few alternatives. Cherki is mainly regarded as a No. 10 player in Deschamps' 4-2-3-1 formation. Does his replacement need to have the same characteristics? This is exactly the focus of the discussion.
In addition to Michael Olis, there are at least three players on this training list that can be competent for this position: Dembele, Aklius (although Deschamps prefers to place him on the wing), Desir Duere, and even Rabiot (often forwards in Marseille in recent months).
Although Dembele is competent for this position, the Paris Saint-Germain player suffered a thigh injury in Paris' 6-3 victory over Toulouse on Saturday, and it is uncertain whether he can appear at the Clay Fontaine training base on Monday. "I will do an MRI, but I don't think the injury is serious." Therefore, the coaching staff needs to discuss urgently in the next few hours to find one or two replacements for this crucial training camp. If Deschamps chooses to replace Cherki with a typical No. 10 player, Lazio midfielder Gondozi (who held this position with the national team last season) has a greater chance.
Does Yusuf Fofana have a chance? The last time the AC Milan player was selected for the national team was in October 2024. He liked to take offensive responsibilities, but Deschamps prefers to place him in a relatively backward position. If the coach believes that the No. 10 position has been guaranteed due to the versatility of players such as Douai, he may consider recalling Paris Saint-Germain's Zaire Emery, who lost to the initial list of this period due to unstable playing time in Paris.