During the competition, the players went on strike in protest over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka from the team, which resulted in all 23 players on the team being suspended for its friendly match in August 2010. After missing the match against Norway due to new manager Laurent Blanc 's imposed suspension, Valbuena made his return to the team in a 1--0 defeat to Belarus in UEFA Euro 2012 qualification.
Laurent Blanc
Valbuena