France will begin their Euro 2025 campaign against defending champions England on Saturday without captain Griedge Mbock, who has been ruled out with a right-calf problem. Coach Laurent Bonadei confirmed the centre-back’s absence at his pre-match news conference, saying the medical staff would not risk the player after she felt discomfort and missed training for two consecutive days. Bonadei said scans showed no muscle tear but that the 29-year-old needs additional recovery time. Mbock, who suffered the injury during a 24 June session at Clairefontaine, will remain with the squad in Zurich and could return later in the tournament, the coach added. Her withdrawal deepens the generational shift already under way in the French side, which is contesting the tournament without long-time stalwarts Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer and Kenza Dali. England also arrive depleted, with goalkeeper Mary Earps, former captain Millie Bright and forward Fran Kirby absent, yet Sarina Wiegman’s team still carries the weight of its 2022 title and 2023 World Cup runner-up finish. The Group D fixture kicks off at 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on 5 July at Zurich’s Stadion Letzigrund. France enter on an eight-match winning run, while England look to defend their European crown amid a reshaped squad.