France’s Under-21 goalkeeping picture changed abruptly at Clairefontaine, and Issiaka Touré is set to step into the light against Luxembourg on Saturday night. With Ewen Jaouen ruled out by a hamstring injury, the Aubagne goalkeeper has been given the edge for a match that could send Gérald Baticle’s side to Euro 2027.
Touré gets the first opportunity
- Jaouen had begun the camp as France Under-21s’ clear first-choice goalkeeper after Robin Risser and Guillaume Restes moved up to the senior national squad.
- The Newcastle goalkeeper suffered a hamstring problem on Thursday and returned to England for medical examinations.
- Mathys Niflore, Toulouse’s 19-year-old Under-20 goalkeeper, arrived at Clairefontaine on Friday evening to replace Jaouen in the group.
- With Jaouen unavailable, Baticle must choose between two September call-ups: 21-year-old Touré and Mathieu Patouillet, 22.
- Touré is expected to start against Luxembourg at 19:00 on Saturday, helped by his greater club experience this season.
- France will then face Switzerland on Tuesday, with the coaching staff still considering a possible goalkeeper rotation across the two fixtures.
“Either one could play,” Baticle said earlier in the day. “Both have trained well. We will establish an order over the two remaining matches, but alternating between Luxembourg and Switzerland is not out of the question.”
Touré has played seven matches for Aubagne this season, while Patouillet is still waiting for his first competitive appearance for Brest. Patouillet is currently deputy to Egil Selvik at the Ligue 1 club.
A different route for both contenders
Touré joined SC Aubagne-Air Bel this summer after leaving Saint-Étienne, where he had been third in the pecking order behind Gautier Larsonneur and Brice Maubleu last season. The Toulouse academy product ended his contract with ASSE in search of senior football and is now playing in Ligue 3.
His path has similarities with Risser’s. The current senior France goalkeeper was first called into the Under-21s while spending the 2023-24 campaign with Dijon.
Touré’s regular starts also make him an exception among French goalkeepers in the country’s leading three divisions. In Ligue 1, only five French keepers of any age are currently established starters: Risser, Restes, Kocik, Gallon and Samba.
Patouillet returned to France this summer after one season at Al-Hilal. His chances in Saudi Arabia were restricted both by competition from Yassine Bounou and the rule limiting teams to eight foreign players on a match sheet.
Before that move, Patouillet had been regularly included in preliminary France Under-21 selections during his spell with Sochaux in the National between 2023 and 2025. But on Saturday, it is Touré who is due to receive the chance to claim the shirt.
One point from Euro 2027
The stakes are clear for the young French side. A draw against Luxembourg would be enough to secure qualification for Euro 2027, giving Touré a potentially decisive first appearance in the Under-21 setup.
