France's defensive duo under medical observation ahead of Spain clash

French defenders William Saliba, who suffers from recurring back pain, and Dayot Upamecano, who is injured in the foot, remained under medical care on Saturday during training at Bentley University near Boston, three days before the World Cup semi-final against Spain on Tuesday.

Despite this, the coaching staff of Les Bleus assured that the condition of the duo is not a cause for concern, noting that captain Kylian Mbappé, who suffered an ankle injury during the quarter-final against Morocco, has already participated in the latest training session.

During the 15-minute open session for the media, Mbappé limited himself to a light jog around the pitch alongside the starting players who faced the Atlas Lions, while Saliba and Upamecano were absent, along with goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who trained separately with the other goalkeepers.

The substitutes trained normally under the supervision of assistant coach Guy Stephan. Saliba and Upamecano had been following a reduced training program since the start of the tournament after the first match against Senegal (3-1), with Saliba adhering to a special regimen due to chronic back pain that keeps him out of some group sessions.

The French national team continues its preparations with a new training session on Sunday morning at Bentley University, before traveling to Dallas in the afternoon. They will face Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-final in Arlington, near Dallas, at 15:00 local time (19:00 GMT).