N'Golo Kanté missed the last two full team sessions for France while managing knee pain before the World Cup round of 32 match against Sweden. His condition is not considered a major concern, but the timing leaves France with at least one midfield fitness question on the eve of a knockout game.
N'Golo Kanté and France
The missing sessions are the point. France had a full group working through the build-up, but Kanté was not part of the last two complete team workouts, which makes his preparation different from the rest of the squad.
The midfielder’s knee pain has not been described as a major concern, yet missing two full sessions still matters in a knockout week. A player can be available on Tuesday and still have lost valuable team work, especially when the match is in the World Cup round of 32.
France travel to New York
The rest of the France squad completed a light workout before travelling to New York, where the group was due to stay on Sunday night. That kept the schedule moving even as Kanté’s workload remained limited.
Marcus Thuram added to the fitness picture. According to L'Équipe, he was unlikely to face Sweden in Tuesday’s World Cup round of 32 after calf pain, skipped Sunday’s group session at Bentley University, and worked on a bike instead.
Sweden in Tuesday
Thuram had also sat out Saturday’s run-out with the substitutes, and he was not expected to feature in New York. He could still be listed on the match sheet, as he was against Norway, which leaves France with one more selection call to manage before kickoff.
For France, the immediate issue is not a long injury list. It is the status of two players whose fitness has been complicated in the final stretch, with Kanté the more restrained case and Thuram the more doubtful one. Tuesday’s match against Sweden will tell France whether the squad’s training-week caution becomes a lineup decision.
