Ibrahima Konate was surprisingly left out of the Euro 2024 opener against Austria and coach Didier Deschamps explained why he left the defender out.
In the build-up to the Euros, Konate was expected to be the preferred partner of Dayot Upamecano, the key figure in France’s defence.
But when Deschamps’ team sheet was revealed before kick-off on Monday night, it was confirmed that Arsenal centre-back William Saliba was preferred to Liverpool’s number five.
France won a narrow 1-0 win, with Kylian Mbappe suffering a shocking nose injury, and concerns were raised about Saliba’s performance.
In his post-match press conference, as reported by Get French Football News, Deschamps detailed his reasons for choosing the 23-year-old over Konate.
“If I decided to play William Saliba, it was because I thought he was more prepared than Konate for that game,” he told reporters.
“But I don’t want to lose anyone either. We all need it.
“(Saliba and Upamecano) have 120 minutes together with the French national team, which is not a lot, but they have very solid ability in one-on-one situations.
“They exuded a lot of strength and serenity, even if there was room for improvement.
“We needed that against an opponent like that.”
The suggestion suggests Deschamps could refine and change his centre-back combination depending on the game situation, and this was the case in France’s two warm-up friendlies as well.
Konate (118), Upamecano (107) and Saliba (135) shared minutes with Luxembourg and Canada, but Upamecano was the only one to start both.
Whether Deschamps’ selection for Group D is vindicated is debatable. N’Golo Kante was needed, especially as Saliba had to be relieved for a botched challenge while Patrick Wimmer was looking for a goal-scoring opportunity.
Of course, it would be difficult to argue that Konate was calling for a place in form, as he also lost his place in the Liverpool side towards the end of the season.
Deschamps is likely to return the 25-year-old to the lineup for Friday’s game against the Netherlands, where he will face team-mate Cody Gakpo.
