How Aladji Bamba became a Monaco starter | OneFootball

Aladji Bamba, long viewed as Monaco’s future, has become a regular starter during the club’s Ligue one surge after an uneven opening to the season.

According to L'Équipe, Adi Hütter gave the 19-year-old his first three starts in September. Monaco won 2-1 at Auxerre, lost 1-4 at Bruges, then beat Metz 5-2, where a hamstring issue ended his night after Thilo Kehrer urged the change.

Three weeks later Sébastien Pocognoli arrived and Bamba initially struggled to convince. Fresh from extending to 2030, he then spent nearly three months in the stands or on the bench, and a loan to Red Star in Ligue two was close before injuries at Monaco stopped it.

He worked on intensity, first touch, front-foot pressing and counter-pressing, also featuring with the Elite group and in the Youth League. Pocognoli told him to add strength, and at 1.94m he is still filling out.

Short Champions League cameos shifted the mood, with 15 bright minutes in the 1-6 at Madrid on 20 January and a disciplined turn as a number six in the 0-0 with Juventus on 28 January.

That progress carried into Ligue one, notably the wins at Lens, 3-2 on 21 February, at Paris, 3-1 on six March, and at Lyon, 2-1 on 22 March, alongside Lamine Camara. Denis Zakaria has praised his power and technique, and says if he keeps working he has a big future, while Bamba’s rise has also helped Zakaria thrive in defence.

Source: L'Équipe