"If he has to play, it's in midfield": why Zidane won't test Zaïre-Emery as fullback with France

Zidane insists Zaïre-Emery will play midfield for France, not fullback, despite the side's defensive struggles against Italy.

Warren Zaïre-Emery remained on the bench as France lost 3-1 to Italy on Thursday, with the fullbacks struggling defensively. Despite this, manager Zinédine Zidane confirmed he will only use the PSG midfielder in his natural central midfield position for the national team, not as a fullback.

Zidane stated in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Nations League fixture against Turkey: "Warren, if he has to play, it's in midfield. I want to see him in that position. There's nothing calculated about this, I'm not trying to muddy the waters." He added there was no difference in how he manages players deployed in unfamiliar positions compared to their club roles.

The decision highlights France's shortage of specialist right-backs. Pierre Kalulu withdrew, leaving Saël Kumbedi (21, playing in Germany's second division) as backup, while Malo Gusto had a poor display in Italy, conceding a penalty and contributing to two of the three goals.

Zaïre-Emery impressed as a right-back for PSG last season covering for the injured Achraf Hakimi, but Zidane prefers to preserve his midfield option. France must beat or draw Turkey to secure Nations League quarter-final qualification.