Mustafa Mohamed missing as Nantes ‘lose contact’ with Egypt striker amid stand-off

Nantes head coach Michel Der Zakarian says the club no longer knows the whereabouts of Egypt striker Mustafa Mohamed, deepening an already fraught stand-off between the player and the French side.

The 28-year-old has not reported for pre-season training since preparations for the new campaign began on 24 June, and did not feature in Nantes’ first friendly – a 5-0 win over third-tier Fleury.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Lorient, Der Zakarian told French newspaper L’Equipe that attempts to reach the forward have frequently failed.

“We don’t know where he is, we call him and sometimes he doesn’t answer,” the coach said.

‘If he doesn’t want to come, let him stay at home’

Der Zakarian stressed that while the club has been trying to establish contact with Mohamed, he has personally chosen not to get involved directly.

“The club is in contact with him, but I have not called him personally,” he explained. “The player does not want to come to training, and this is his mistake and not ours, we are not paying him his salary, that’s all there is to it, if he does not want to come, let him stay at home.”

Mohamed has been absent from the Joneliere training centre since the squad regrouped last month. His no-show for the opening friendly has further heightened uncertainty over his situation, at a time when Nantes are attempting to rebuild following relegation to Ligue 2 last season.

The club has already moved to discipline the forward, imposing a financial penalty for his continued absence from training, but has given no public indication of what the next steps might be if the impasse continues.

Coach condemns ‘contradictions’ in modern football

Der Zakarian, whose team dropped into the French second tier at the end of the last campaign, suggested Mohamed’s stance reflects a broader trend of player power and instability in the modern game.

“We are seeing a lot of contradictions in football today,” he said. “He decided to do this, and we will see what happens when he returns.”

The coach did not elaborate on whether the club expects Mohamed back imminently, or if Nantes are preparing for the possibility that he may push for an exit before the new season begins.

Contract running down as future remains unclear

Mohamed, a regular for Egypt with 61 caps and 14 international goals, is under contract with Nantes until the summer of next year.

Since joining the club in 2023, he has scored 29 goals in 136 appearances in all competitions, making him one of Nantes’ most significant attacking assets despite the team’s struggles in Ligue 1 and subsequent relegation.

However, his future at the club is now shrouded in uncertainty. With one year remaining on his deal, Nantes face a decision over whether to seek a transfer this summer, attempt to reintegrate the player if relations can be repaired, or risk losing him for a reduced fee or even for free in 12 months’ time.

For now, the immediate issue for Nantes is more basic: resolving a situation in which their leading striker is absent without explanation, with the head coach openly admitting he does not know where his player is – or when he will return.