Mathys Tel has pulled out of 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 opening period in West Yorkshire, Jayden Bogle caught Tel's ankle with his studs. Referee John Brooks opted against reaching for a yellow card, but the Video Assistant Referee at Stockley Park stepped in promptly to assess the incident for a potential red card.
After more than four minutes of deliberation, Tony Harrington and his assistant Matt Wilkes ruled that the Leeds United defender had no case to answer. In an official statement outlining the ruling, the Video Assistant Referee commented: "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."
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The 21 year old battled on briefly but was unable to continue, making way for Dominic Solanke. The French Football Federation subsequently confirmed that Tel has withdrawn from the Under-21 squad due to the injury sustained during the match.
An official statement reads, via football.london: "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 their spot at next year's UEFA European Championships and are scheduled to play two friendly matches 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 don't return to competitive action until Saturday, November 21, when they welcome Ipswich Town to North London in the first of a demanding run of fixtures over the holiday period. At this stage, Tel's availability remains uncertain, though he'll benefit from at least a week at Hotspur Way to recuperate and undergo further medical evaluation.
When speaking to TNT Sports over the weekend, De Zerbi was questioned about the incident involving Bogle and the French forward. The Spurs head coach initially responded: "In the first situation of Mathys Tel, I didn't see; I can't say anything."
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Pushed further on the subject, he continued: "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 then issued an apology to fans for the outcome. He said: "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.
"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."
De Zerbi went on to add: "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."