Pierre Kalulu will miss upcoming international matches for France after sustaining a left hamstring muscle injury during Juventus’s fixture against Fiorentina.
The French defender underwent medical examinations conducted in close collaboration between the club and the French national team following the match at the Franchi.
The assessments confirmed a muscle lesion in his left leg, ruling him out of Zinedine Zidane’s squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. Kalulu will not take part in France’s matches away against Italy on Thursday 12 and at home against Turkey on Sunday 15, and will instead remain in Turin to undergo treatment.
The defender has been excluded from the national team training camp and will be replaced in the coming hours, having previously received trust from the French coach in past months. This muscular problem follows earlier stops this season that have also affected Boga, Cabal, Cambiaso, Celik, Ekhator, Nico Gonzalez, and Sarr, alongside recent physical issues for McKennie. Celik managed a return to action during the match against Fiorentina.
🚨🇫🇷 Pierre Kalulu has suffered a hamstring injury and will therefore be ruled out of the France squad for the upcoming international break. — FabriceHawkins pic.twitter.com/UmLogvpRVW
The defender has been the most heavily utilized player by Luciano Spalletti this season, accumulating 1,305 minutes on the pitch. His absence adds another setback to a difficult campaign for Juventus, which has faced a continuous succession of muscular issues affecting the squad.
Medical projections indicate that Kalulu is expected to remain sidelined for approximately two to three weeks. His potential return to the field is targeted either for the match against Como on November 29 or for the fixture against Udinese on December 6.
During the match against Fiorentina alone, the team had to do without eight players. Conceicao is dealing with a shoulder dislocation, Yildiz will require more time to recover, and the long-term absences of Locatelli and Thuram are scheduled for well into 2027. Conversely, returns for Cambiaso, Nico Gonzalez, and Conceiçao are awaited after the international break.
While the upcoming international break will see eleven players depart—specifically Vicario, Gatti, Ekhator, Alajbegovic, Cabal, Lucumi, Celik, Koopmeiners, McKennie, Sarr, and Zhegrova—the pause offers a fortunate window for those remaining at the box to try to recover and assist Spalletti when the tour de force resumes.
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