Sergen Yalçın has selected 26 players for Turkey’s Nations League games against Belgium and France in November. Injured forward Kenan Yıldız will continue treatment at Juventus after an agreement with the national coaching staff. Berke Özer is included, while the selection follows a scouting exercise covering a pool of 50 players.
Turkey head coach Sergen Yalçın has announced his squad for the national football team’s Nations League matches against Belgium and France. The 26-player group includes four goalkeepers, nine defenders, six midfielders and seven forwards. Turkey will play Belgium in İzmir on 12 November and travel to France for the second fixture on 15 November.[1]
Sergen Yalçın’s candidate squad was also announced by the Turkish Football Federation.[1], [2]
Injured forward Kenan Yıldız is absent. Yalçın said the player wanted to join the national side, but his Italian club Juventus requested that rehabilitation continue there. The national coaching staff accepted that request. Yalçın also said Özer wanted to return and had the age profile to contribute to the team for many years.[1]
Yalçın said nine scouts attended 43 matches and prepared 64 assessments covering 50 players. The staff used an artificial-intelligence-assisted player scouting and performance analysis system, while retaining the final say on selection. He rejected suggestions that players were unwilling to attend, saying the staff had held telephone conversations with many footballers.[1]
