Koundé in Difficulty Against Senegal, Starting Spot Threatened Despite Gusto Injury

Jules Koundé emerged weakened from France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal. The Barcelona right-back delivered a mixed performance, marked by significant technical errors in the opponent’s penalty area, particularly in the first half.

Despite his recognized defensive solidity, Koundé is regularly criticized for his lack of attacking contribution. His performance against Senegal could prompt Didier Deschamps to prefer another option in the next match against Iraq, considered the weakest team in the group.

Malo Gusto seemed the natural candidate to take his place. The Chelsea player had delivered several convincing performances in the French shirt in recent months. But the right-back suffered an ankle injury during a training match organized after France-Senegal. Early reports are reassuring and his participation against Iraq next Monday is not ruled out, but this incident could give the manager pause.

Deschamps nonetheless has an alternative in Warren Zaïre-Emery. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has already played as a right-back this season with his club and has declared himself available to provide this service to the national team. It is up to the manager to decide.