Payet misses start of pre-season training

MARSEILLE: Dimitri Payet, who could have been preparing for a World Cup quarter final, will be absent on Thursday when Marseille start pre-season training because he is having dental surgery.

Payet reinjured a thigh as Marseille lost the Europa League final to Atletico Madrid on May 16. When France coach Didier Deschamps announced his World Cup squad the next day, he decided not to take a risk on the mercurial midfielder. Now Payet will be out for an unspecified period for an operation on his wisdom teeth.

Marseille will start training without five World Cup players — Adil Rami, Steve Mandanda and Florian Thauvin — who are in the France squad that faces Uruguay on Friday, as well as Hiroki Sakai, of Japan, and Saif-Eddine Khaoui, of Tunisia.

The Ligue 1 side will also start training without defender Boubacar Kamara, part of France’s squad for an under-19 tournament in China, and three injured players.