Ibrahima Konate was a shock omission for France’s Euro 2024 opener in opposition to Austria, with supervisor Didier Deschamps explaining why he left the defender out.
Within the buildup to the Euros, Konate was slated to be first-choice associate to Dayot Upamecano on the coronary heart of France’s defence.
However upon the discharge of Deschamps’ teamsheet earlier than kickoff on Monday evening, it was confirmed that Arsenal centre-back William Saliba had been most well-liked to Liverpool’s No. 5.
France went on to scrape a slender 1-0 win, with Kylian Mbappe struggling a stunning nostril harm, and considerations had been raised over Saliba’s efficiency.
In his post-match press convention, as reported by Get French Soccer Information, Deschamps detailed why he had opted for the 23-year-old over Konate.
“If I made a decision to play William Saliba, it’s as a result of I assumed he was extra prepared than Konate for such a match,” he instructed reporters.
“However I don’t wish to lose anybody both, we are going to want everybody.
“[Saliba and Upamecano] have 120 minutes collectively for the France nationwide crew, it’s not so much, however they’ve this capability to be very strong in one-on-one [situations].
“Even when there have been some clearances that they might enhance on, they exuded a whole lot of power and tranquility.
“We would have liked that in opposition to such an opponent.”
The suggestion is that Deschamps may look to cut and alter his centre-back pairing relying on the fixture, which was additionally the case in France’s two warmup friendlies.
Konate (118), Upamecano (107) and Saliba (135) shared the minutes over conferences with Luxembourg and Canada, although Upamecano was the one one to start out each.
Whether or not Deschamps’ alternative for the Group D was vindicated is up for debate, notably as N’Golo Kante was required to bail Saliba out after a mistimed problem noticed Patrick Wimmer race by for an opportunity on aim.
After all, it might be tough to argue that Konate demanded the place on type, having additionally misplaced his place within the Liverpool aspect on the finish of the season.
It’s doable that Deschamps will restore the 25-year-old to his lineup for Friday’s conflict with the Netherlands, which might pit him in opposition to team-mate Cody Gakpo.
