Digne and Théo Hernandez struggle: France's left flank concerns mount ahead of World Cup

France fell to a 2-1 defeat against Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday evening in a warm-up match, raising serious defensive questions just twelve days before their World Cup campaign begins against Senegal.

After a solid first half, capped by Rayan Cherki’s opening goal just before the break, France collapsed in the second period. The Ivorians turned the match around to secure a historic victory, inflicting a defeat on France that exposed their structural weaknesses.

“It’s a wake-up call if we needed one. I’m not going to be dramatic about it, just as I wouldn’t have got carried away if we’d won. It’s a stage, and it’s not necessarily positive because it’s a defeat,” said manager Didier Deschamps after the match.

The most concerning problem lies on the left flank, where Lucas Digne and Théo Hernandez are competing for the starting spot. Over France’s last ten matches, each has played five. On Thursday, they each played one half — and each disappointed in their usual role.

Théo Hernandez, expected to provide creativity, appeared hesitant and without ideas, limiting himself to defending despite minimal pressure from his opponent. Lucas Digne, renowned for his defensive reliability, was directly involved in both Ivorian goals: too slow to react to Guéla Doué for the first, mistimed on the second. “We made mistakes too. We were late on the second goal in particular,” Deschamps acknowledged.

This situation reopens an unexpected avenue: Lucas Hernandez. Now used in central defence with France, the former Bayern Munich defender has performed well this season at PSG as a replacement for Nuno Mendes. Deschamps could be tempted to reposition him in his natural flank if the competition between Digne and Théo Hernandez doesn’t resolve before the tournament kicks off.

The central defence pairing also raises questions: Ibrahima Konaté has confirmed his poor form and should expect a backup role once William Saliba returns from injury.