Mostafa Mohamed left out of Nantes squad for French second-tier opener

Mostafa Mohamed has been omitted from the Nantes squad for their opening French second-tier match against Red Star FC 93 on Saturday.

Nantes announced their players for the fixture, with the Egypt international not included in head coach Michel Der Zakarian’s selection.

The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday evening, as Nantes begin their campaign in the French second division. The decision to leave Mohamed out comes after the striker recently returned to training with the club following a period in which he had not attended the rehabilitation programme arranged ahead of the new season.

Mohamed has since joined Nantes’ training sessions and has been working individually as he prepares for the campaign. However, his return to training was not enough to secure a place in the squad for the meeting with Red Star FC 93.

The 2026-27 season is significant for Mohamed’s contract situation, with one year remaining on his current agreement at Nantes. His deal is due to expire in the summer of 2027.

Nantes signed Mohamed from Galatasaray for a reported fee of €6.5m. The forward has been with the French club for three years and has made 136 appearances, scoring 29 goals during that time.

His absence means Nantes will start their second-tier campaign without one of the main attacking players who has featured prominently since his arrival. The club’s squad announcement confirmed that Der Zakarian had chosen not to include him for the opening fixture.

Mohamed’s immediate focus remains on regaining full preparation through individual work and involvement in Nantes’ training programme. The club’s decision for Saturday’s game leaves him outside the matchday group while he continues his build-up for the new season.

The fixture against Red Star FC 93 is Nantes’ first league match of the campaign, but Mohamed will not be involved after being excluded from the squad selected by the manager.