Luca Zidane in, Ilan Kebbal out as Algeria camp hints at World Cup squad | OneFootball

Vladimir Petkovic will not reveal Algeria’s official 26 for the World Cup until Sunday 31 May. According to L'Équipe, this week’s Sidi Moussa camp has already signposted the likely group and key omissions, notably Ilan Kebbal, Ismaël Bennacer, Baghdad Bounedjah and Adem Zorgane.

Local media tracked arrivals at Houari-Boumédiène Airport on Monday 25 May, with around ten players seen, including Luca Zidane, Aïssa Mandi and Ramy Bensebaïni.

With injuries unsettling the goalkeeper pool, notably Anthony Mandrea and Melvin Mastil, Petkovic has called up five keepers. Luca Zidane is among them, wearing a protective mask after breaking his jaw in late April, then having surgery.

Nabil Bentaleb, absent from the last AFCON in Morocco, returns after a strong third season with Lille following his June 2024 cardiac incident.

Among those omitted are Union Saint-Gilloise’s Adem Zorgane and two 2019 AFCON winners, Baghdad Bounedjah of Al-Shamal and Ismaël Bennacer of Dinamo Zagreb.

“Je ne vais pas mentir, je suis dans l'incompréhension. Quand tu te sens bien physiquement, que tu travailles, que tu reviens à un bon niveau et que tu as ce rêve de Coupe du monde avec ton pays depuis des années, c'est forcément difficile à accepter.” he told La Gazette du Fennec.

Kebbal, who produced nine goals and four assists in Ligue 1 for Paris FC, did not travel with club-mate Samir Chergui on the Paris to Algiers flight, and despite limited AFCON minutes his omission still stings.

Source: L'Équipe