AFP, Paris :
France, Italy and Portugal lead the teams attempting to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, while England’s promotion hopes have been hit by a series of withdrawals.
With European champions Spain and Germany already qualified for the last eight, six spots are still to be filled going into the final two rounds of group matches over the next week.
Unbeaten Italy and Portugal require just a point to advance, while France are well positioned too ahead of the visit of Israel on Thursday — a game that will be played surrounded by a large police presence.
The Paris fixture take places a week after clashes in Amsterdam around a match between Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax.
Israel has urged fans to avoid the Nations League tie over fears they could be targeted amid a tide of rising anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim abuse since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“I can understand why people don’t want to come,” said France defender Dayot Upamecano. “It’s their choice,” he added. “I’m just here to play.
“I like peace and I hope one day will have it again, in all countries.”
Kylian Mbappe is again missing from the France squad, with Coach Didier Deschamps insisting the absence of the Real Madrid superstar “is for the best”.
The national team captain sat out last month’s double-header in order to recover from a minor thigh injury and instead travelled to Stockholm for a short break.
It was following that trip that Swedish media reported he was being investigated for an alleged rape. Mbappe himself said those reports were “fake news” while his lawyer said the player would take action for libel.
A Swedish prosecutor confirmed that an investigation had been opened, without naming Mbappe.
“I am not going to set out my argument, but I can say two things. The first is that Kylian wanted to come,” Deschamps said last week.
