Ajorque scores at Lorient, his manager pleads for first France call-up

Ludovic Ajorque struck again: the Stade Brestois striker scored in the victory at Lorient (0-2) on Monday evening, forty-eight hours before Zinédine Zidane publishes his next France squad.

The manager will reveal on Friday the names of players selected for the final two Nations League group matches, in Italy and then against Turkey. After a successful first gathering — ten points from twelve available — Zidane will be forced to reshape his attack. Ousmane Dembélé is ruled out with a thigh injury, and Estéban Lepaul, absent for two weeks due to an ankle injury, makes his call-up unlikely. Marcus Thuram, meanwhile, could make his return.

In this context, Ajorque’s name keeps coming up. For a month, his manager Julien Lachuer has been making repeated public pleas for the 32-year-old striker. After the victory against Angers (5-1) in early October, he had already spoken out in that sense. On Monday, he did so again: “We have very great players in France, Ludo is one of them. We have a superb manager, we must trust him. If he needs him, he will be there. Ludo is a player who makes the collective better. He’s not world-class like some, but he has this game intelligence and this team sense. If the manager needs to have a presence, someone who attracts the ball and makes others better, Ludo is available.”

Ajorque has never been selected for the France A team. His profile as a penalty-box striker, capable of serving as a focal point and freeing up space for his teammates, contrasts with the profiles usually selected by French managers. It is precisely this argument that Lachuer is putting forward to convince Zidane to take the step.