Zinédine Zidane called up Saël Kumbedi to the France national team for the first time on Monday. The Wolfsburg defender joins the squad to replace Pierre Kalulu, ruled out by a hamstring injury to his left lower limb.
By calling him up on Monday, Zidane therefore fills the place left vacant by Kalulu. The injury to the left lower limb deprives the coach of a selected defender, while the Wolfsburg player receives a call-up to the France national team for the first time.
His loan last season in the Bundesliga had been successful. This positive record precedes a different sporting situation: the defender is now playing in the German second division.
Trained at Le Havre, Saël Kumbedi then moved through Olympique Lyonnais. He currently plays in the German second division, in the colors of Wolfsburg.
This call-up is the first for the 21-year-old player in the tricolor jersey. It comes as the coach must reshape his defensive sector after Kalulu's withdrawal, having already been included in the squad.
According to the specialist site Transfermarkt.fr, Kumbedi is the player with the highest market value in his club's squad. This estimate stands at 12 million euros and places him at the top of the group's economic hierarchy.