Zinedine Zidane did not call up a Chelsea star to his first France squad because he is 'not defensively good enough', according to reports.
Zidane has made an unbeaten start to life in the Les Bleus dugout after replacing Didier Deschamps following their fourth-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. Despite losing captain Kylian Mbappe to injury, France beat Turkey and Belgium 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with Italy. Their Nations League campaign continues on Monday night with a rematch against Belgium.
Premier League stars selected, but Gusto omitted
Several Premier League stars were called up to Zidane's first squad including Maxence Lacroix but there was no room for his Chelsea teammate Malo Gusto. That is despite the full-back being a near-ever present in the France team recently, winning 16 caps since his debut three years ago, which came shortly after his £25million transfer to Stamford Bridge.
The 23-year-old made five appearances at the World Cup, albeit his only start was the humiliating 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off. Instead, Zidane opted to pick Jules Kounde and Pierre Kalulu as his right-backs, while uncapped duo Adrien Truffert and Andy Diouf were selected on the left.
Transfer interest and club standing
Both Manchester City and Liverpool attempted to sign Gusto over the summer but he is valued at £80m by Chelsea, with the club considering him 'untouchable'. The 23-year-old appears to be a key player for Xabi Alonso, starting five of Chelsea's seven opening games of the season, playing at both right-back and in defensive midfield.
Nevertheless, it seems Zidane does not rate him, with L'Equipe reporting that Gusto is 'not defensively good enough' in the eyes of the France manager and his coaching staff. It is said that they want the versatile defender to greatly improve that aspect of his game if he is to get a recall to the national team.
Next steps for France and Gusto
The next international break is in November, with France set to play Turkey and Italy again for their final two Nations League group games. More immediately, Gusto will be preparing to face Bournemouth as Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday.
