Warren Zaïre-Emery will return to the France squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, overcoming a physical setback that forced him to withdraw from the previous international gathering in September, according to reports from sports.fr and Foot Mercato.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder missed the initial selection under new national team coach Zinédine Zidane due to an adductor injury. Speaking to reporters in mixed-zone comments reported by Foot01 and corroborated by sports.fr following PSG’s 1-0 win over Troyes on Saturday, November 8, 2026, the 20-year-old expressed relief about his reintegration. C’est sûr que c’était frustrant,
Zaïre-Emery said of his recent absence, noting that he attended a previous match in person where teammates welcomed him warmly.
De faire ma première avec le nouveau sélectionneur, ça sera quelque chose de spécial et j’ai hâte,
he added.
While Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has frequently deployed the homegrown talent at right-back, left-back, and central midfield, Zinédine Zidane made it clear that he views the player strictly as a central midfielder.
Speaking at his squad announcement, sports.fr reported the coach’s stance: Je ne vois pas du tout Warren Zaïre-Emery arrière droit. Il est bien au milieu de terrain, on n’est pas en club. Quand je sélectionne un joueur, je veux le voir dans sa position.
Chaque entraîneur fait son travail, Zidane le fait très bien.
According to reporting from L’Équipe cited by Foot01, Zaïre-Emery welcomed the national coach’s definitive positioning. The player’s entourage indicated to the sports daily that the midfielder is currently operating at roughly 70 percent of his overall potential, suggesting he could deliver greater impact if granted consistent playing time in a fixed position.
The 20-year-old aims to establish himself more solidly in the France team and believes he can take this step at the heart of the game.
France travels to face Italy on November 12, 2026, before returning home to host Turkey in Bordeaux three days later on November 15, 2026. These matches will provide the first competitive evaluation of Zidane’s tactical selections and evaluate how squad members adapt to their preferred positions at the international level.
🚨 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧: Zinedine Zidane says he wants Warren Zaïre-Emery in midfield for France, not at right-back. ↳ 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗧 Zaïre-Emery, 20, plays for PSG and has filled in at right-back for the club. France face Italy in Milan on 12 November and Turkey in Bordeaux on 15… pic.twitter.com/DS0EDKL2uD
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