After months of struggle, is it Stanis Idumbo’s time at AS Monaco? | OneFootball

After a low-key first year, 21-year-old Belgian winger Stanis Idumbo has started Monaco’s first two competitive games at Zabrze and Le Havre, suggesting a step forward.

According to Nice-Matin, head coach Filipe Luis currently views Idumbo as the only natural winger in his squad.

In Zabrze last Thursday, a 3-2 win, he delivered a deft cross for Monaco’s third after a cautious start, then grew in influence. At Le Havre on Sunday, a 1-0 victory, he was direct and enterprising as Ligue 1 began with a win.

Signed from Sevilla for 10 million euros a year ago, he featured only 12 times last season, returning one goal and one assist. Used as a wing-back against Paris FC in November, a 0-1 defeat, he struggled on the decisive goal, then his first start brought two bookings in 14 minutes at Orléans in January, a 1-3 Coupe de France loss. He later required shoulder surgery.

He remains a work in progress, with end product and duels still inconsistent, as two missed chances at Coventry on 14 August, a 2-0 friendly defeat, underlined. Yet since his first summer minutes against Bruges on 31 July, a 2-2 draw, he has looked looser, carrying the ball, drifting inside and combining.

Across these two starts his defensive ledger was notably fuller than last term, with 8 defensive actions, 3 clearances, 3 interceptions, 2 tackles and 9 recoveries combined. Keeping his place now appears the key to sustaining this momentum.

Source: Nice-Matin

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”