Mathys Tel has withdrawn from the France Under-21 squad through injury. The Tottenham Hotspur winger was substituted during Saturday's defeat at Elland Road against Leeds United, hobbling off the field shortly before halftime.
Late in the first half, Leeds defender Jayden Bogle caught Tel's ankle with his studs. Referee John Brooks did not show a card on the field, but the Video Assistant Referee at Stockley Park stepped in to assess the incident for a potential red card. After more than four minutes of deliberation, VAR official Tony Harrington and his assistant Matt Wilkes ruled that Bogle had no case to answer. In an official statement explaining the decision, the VAR said: "I'm confirming the on-field decision of no red card. There's a lack of speed going into the challenge, and he's stepping into the tackle. Confirming a reckless challenge."
Tel continued briefly after the challenge but was unable to carry on, making way for Dominic Solanke. The French Football Federation has since confirmed that Tel has withdrawn from the Under-21 training camp because of the injury sustained in the match. An official statement, relayed via football.london, read: "Injured with his club Tottenham Hotspur FC (English Premier League), Mathys Tel is forced to withdraw from the training camp of the French U21 team which began this Monday at the CNF Clairefontaine (Yvelines). The French striker will not be replaced."
France's Under-21 side have already secured qualification for next year's UEFA European Under-21 Championship and are scheduled to play two friendlies this month, against Italy at the Francis-Le-Basser Stadium on Friday, November 13, and against England at Ashton Gate on Monday, November 16.
Tottenham do not return to competitive action until Saturday, November 21, when they host Ipswich Town in the first of a demanding run of fixtures over the holiday period. Tel's availability for that match remains uncertain, though he is expected to have at least a week at Hotspur Way to recover and undergo further medical evaluation.
De Zerbi reacts to the incident and the result
Speaking to TNT Sports over the weekend, Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi was asked about the challenge on Tel. He said: "In the first situation of Mathys Tel, I didn't see; I can't say anything." Pushed further on the matter, he added: "I have big confidence in the referee. Nothing changes if he watches the clip or not. There was VAR, and if they didn't take the right decision, I don't know. We have confidence. We have to keep eyes on the performances and where we can improve."
De Zerbi also apologised to supporters for the outcome at Elland Road. "In the second half, we lost all the duels, we didn't play like we can. It's a journey for us because we can learn from this game," he said. "This game is another sport than other games we have done because their defensive phase was different than the other games. But anyway, there was the solution, there was the space, there was the way to attack and to play better and to defend better the ball. I'm sorry for the result, but first of all I'm sorry for the performance in the second half. We didn't play like a top team, we played without the right spirit, the right character, the right physicality in the duels."
He went on to say: "The international break for us is tough to accept, especially after good games in a row. But it's part of the journey. The most important thing is to understand why we didn't play well in the second half and how we can improve. But it's just a mental aspect."
