Has Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix overtaken Ibrahima Konaté in France’s pecking order? | OneFootball

There is a clear first-choice centre-back pairing for France heading into the FIFA World Cup. William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano are the first-choice options.

However, there are fitness concerns regarding the former, who is managing back pain. The Arsenal defender, L’Équipe understands, may undergo surgery on the issue upon the conclusion of the tournament. That is a decision for then but Didier Deschamps has choices to make in the now. The election of the third-choice option, given Saliba’s issue, is an important one.

It has been Ibrahima Konaté who has been in that role. The defender, who will leave Liverpool to join Real Madrid this summer, has had a tough season, and his poor form at club level has seeped into Les Bleus’ World Cup preparation matches. 

As a result, L’Équipe understands that he may have been demoted from this role as first back-up. Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix, it would seem, has taken his place. It was Lacroix who came on at half-time in France’s 3-1 win over Northern Ireland on Monday, replacing Saliba, rather than Konaté. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle