Kroupi makes decisive return at Bournemouth as Zidane watches closely

Eli Kroupi provided a decisive assist for Bournemouth in their home match against Leeds on Sunday, just three appearances after returning from injury — and six days before Zinédine Zidane announces his France squad.

The 20-year-old striker had missed the start of the season with a fifth metatarsal fracture of his right foot, an injury sustained over the summer when his name was being linked with PSG. Back in action less than a week ago, he had played just 35 minutes when he set up Amine Adli’s goal with a technical touch — complete with a nutmeg — a move that will not have gone unnoticed by a Zidane particularly attuned to such flair.

Last season, his first in the Premier League, Kroupi scored 13 goals in 33 matches for Bournemouth, establishing himself as one of the revelations of English football. Trained at Lorient, he is eligible for Ivory Coast through his father and Portugal through his mother, but has always chosen France. “I’ve always played for France’s youth teams, I was born in France and started football in France so I can’t see myself going towards a culture I don’t know. So naturally, the France team is the objective,” he said recently.

In September, for his first squad as France manager, Zidane called up no fewer than seven players with no senior team experience: Guillaume Restes, Jérémy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha and Esteban Lepaul initially, then Jean Butez and Leny Yoro as reinforcements. The manager has shown he is not afraid to surprise. Kroupi, who has three goals in five Under-21 caps, could feature among the new faces in the November 6 squad.