Player yet to make 2026 World Cup debut due to Sporting issues | OneFootball

Ousmane Diomande is still yet to make his debut at the 2026 World Cup, but the wait could soon be over. The Sporting centre-back missed Ivory Coast’s opening match against Ecuador due to the muscle injury in his right thigh that has troubled him since the end of the season, although the signs regarding his return to action are becoming increasingly positive.

The 22-year-old defender was included in Emerse Faé’s squad for the tournament being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, but he is still not at full fitness. His recovery has been handled gradually, and the Ivorian national team expects he may already get some minutes against Germany next Saturday.

Although he is a regular in Ivory Coast call-ups, Ousmane Diomande is still looking to establish himself as an undisputed starter for the national team. Against Ecuador, the centre-back pairing chosen by Emerse Faé consisted of Emmanuel Agbadou and Wilfried Singo, but there is growing belief among the Ivorian staff that the Sporting player has the quality to take on a more prominent role at the heart of the defence.

The physical problems began while still in Portugal. The muscle injury kept Diomande out of Sporting’s final league match against Gil Vicente and also affected his involvement in the Portuguese Cup final against Torreense, a match in which he was not in the starting line-up.

He is now expected to be used progressively in the two remaining group-stage matches. In addition to the clash with Germany, Ivory Coast will face Curaçao on 25 June in a group where they are second, level on three points with the Germans.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.