Diallo dropped from Le Mans squad after four months without a goal in Ligue 1

Patrick Videira has dropped Habib Diallo and Billal Brahimi from Le Mans FC’s squad for Sunday’s home match against AS Monaco, sanctioning four months of poor form for the Senegalese international in Ligue 1. Without the two players, the promoted Manceaux side earned a deserved draw (1-1) thanks to an equalizer from Erwan Colas in the 90th minute, which allows them to escape the relegation zone (15th, ahead of Angers and Troyes on goal difference).

Signed on September 1st for €500,000 on a three-year contract, the 31-year-old Diallo is struggling to rediscover his form: just one goal in seven matches, few chances created, no impact on the game. The contrast is striking with his 2021-2022 season at RC Strasbourg, which ended with 20 goals in Ligue 1. Since then, a spell in Saudi Arabia followed by an unconvincing return to FC Metz last season had already raised questions about his condition. At the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this winter, he started two matches before being relegated to the bench until the final against Morocco (1-0 victory after extra time, then 3-0 defeat by forfeit).

Videira, himself under pressure within the club — notably from Bruno Cheyrou, Le Mans FC’s sporting advisor — stood by his choices without hesitation after the match. “I have nothing to hide, I expect a lot from them, I want more. I don’t have gifts to give to anyone and these are choices I stand by,” he said. On Diallo specifically, his tone was more measured: “I’m sad because I know he’s a great guy. We’ve been working together for four months and I need him to understand what I’m asking for. My game is very demanding, it requires a lot of running, a lot of sacrifice, and at Le Mans FC we have to have that.”

In the absence of Diallo and Brahimi — who each played a half in the defeat at Troyes (2-0) — it was Louis Mafouta, the other striker signed last summer and already with four goals, who was started alongside Dame Gueye in Videira’s 3-5-2 formation. Le Mans will return to action after the international break with a trip to Marseille.