Tchouameni or Koné against Spain: Durand gives his analysis before the semi-final

Didier Deschamps must choose between Aurélien Tchouameni and Manu Koné for France’s midfield against Spain on Tuesday (21:00) in Dallas in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. A luxury dilemma, according to former international Jean-Philippe Durand.

Tchouameni, vice-captain of the Blues and midfielder for Real Madrid, was forced to withdraw for the round of 16 against Paraguay (1-0) and the quarter-final against Morocco due to an adductor injury sustained after the last-16 tie. His return to team training puts him back in contention for a starting place.

But Koné has taken advantage of this absence to establish himself. The Roma midfielder has delivered two solid performances alongside Adrien Rabiot, the undisputed starter in the French midfield, making the manager’s decision particularly difficult.

When asked by Ouest-France, Durand — who earned 26 caps with the Blues — believes Tchouameni remains the natural starting point for Deschamps’ thinking, provided he is fully fit. “In his mind, I imagine Tchouameni remains the starter. But it depends mainly on his physical condition, that’s the question mark,” he said.

The former midfielder does not rule out a hybrid scenario: “Nothing prevents playing Tchouameni and bringing Koné on if we notice he hasn’t returned to his best. He missed a week of competition and when you have a small muscle problem, the return is always a bit hesitant. You always have the potential relapse in the back of your mind.”

Durand sums up the situation in two words: “a luxury choice”. With two players of this calibre available, Deschamps has a rare margin for manoeuvre at this stage of a world competition. The final decision is his, just hours before a clash against La Roja.