According to a report from L’Équipe, the 24-year-old is tipped to start ahead of Milan striker Olivier Giroud.
After failing to defend their world cup trophy against Argentina, France will kick off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 against the Ronald Koeman-led Dutch side at the Stade de France.
According to the reports, France played a behind-closed-doors training game in their famed Clairefontaine training centre, and the Bondy-born player was seen as the starting man up front, while Giroud only played the second half of the game.
This could imply that he will start on the bench against The Netherlands.
Les Bleus will again train on Thursday at the Stade de France, and it’s left to see what Didier Deschamps will come up with.
Although the coach may not fully change the team that went on to play the 2022 World Cup final, there will be replacements for Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane, who are no longer in the team after their international retirement.
This is now an opportunity for Maignan and Ibrahima Konaté to start against The Netherlands, with Jules Koundé and Théo Hernandez playing as full-backs.
After Kylian Mbappe was announced as captain, Antoine Griezmann is now France’s vice-captain. The duo are expected to start.
With Ousmane Dembélé’s absence, it can only mean that Kingsley Coman is the leading man to play on the right wing, with Mbappé on the opposite side.
This latest development means that France will maintain the four-man defence.
Deschamps also confirmed this in an interview with Nice-Matin.
In 2021, before the 2022 World Cup, Deschamps often switched to a 3-man defence, usually with Raphaël Varane, Presnel Kimpembe, and Benjamin Pavard, while Jules Koundé, Jonathan Clauss, Lucas, and Théo Hernandez played as wingbacks.
This formation was implemented to accommodate the partnership between the returning Karim Benzema and Mbappé (24) while Griezmann played as a false nine.
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