Yoan Makoundou has taken Mathias Lessort's position on the French NT, as the Panathinaikos big man is still questionable for the World Cup. At the same time, five more players are practicing with the team, having zero chances of making the final squad.
As Mathias Lessort is still out with an ankle injury, Vincent Collet's staff at the French NT has brought in Yoan Makoundou as a backup.
If Lessort's absence is prolonged, the strongest probability is a return of Vincent Poirier to the Blues. But, in the meantime, Makoundou, 23, has already participated in his first training session on Sunday, and will only stay with the group the week starting August 7, just for the Orleans training camp.
Makoundou, who has appeared in four games with France, is the sixth 'training partner' assigned to the French squad, alongside the 11 selected and fit players. In what has become a tradition for the Blues, those 'spare' players accompany the national team at each of its practices.
This summer, Hugo Benitez, Bodian Massa, Yves Pons, who took advantage of the absence of Mathias Lessort to play two matches, Matthew Strazel and Joel Ayayi were called in to help.
Even if the EuroLeague's announcement that it will now adapt its calendar to the FIBA qualifying windows for EuroBasket and the World Cup changes the situation, it is likely that all French players involved in the top continental competitions won't be present at the next meetings. The opportunities that Guerschon Yabusele, Terry Tarpey or Yakuba Ouattara have seized in the past could thus set an example for the newer and younger members of the team.
For the six training partners, their presence will last until the end of the Orleans tournament even if one of them will fly to Japan on August 14 for a last week of prep games with the rest of the squad. France will face Lithuania on August 9, before flying over to Tokyo to square off with hosts Japan and Australia (August 17, 20).
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