With Kylian Mbappé ruled out, Ousmane Dembélé is set to take on even greater responsibility with the France national team. Captain against Belgium on Monday in the Nations League, the PSG forward has the full confidence of Zinédine Zidane. Leadership, fitness, positioning: the France coach believes his player does not even need to do anything more.
Mbappé’s absence inevitably changes the hierarchy within Les Bleus. Sidelined with a knee injury for the remainder of the international break, the France captain will hand the armband to Dembélé for the game against Belgium… provided he starts. At 29 and with 68 caps, the Parisian is now one of the most experienced players in the squad, but Zidane does not expect the captaincy to change his behaviour.
Zidane already sees Dembélé as a leader
Asked on Sunday what Dembélé could bring as captain, Zidane explained that he already naturally fulfils that role. “What can he bring as captain? Honestly, he already does it. He is vice-captain. He has that role even when he isn’t wearing the armband. You can feel it with the number of caps he has, his experience and what he has achieved,” said Zidane. The former Real Madrid coach also highlighted his influence in the dressing room: “He’s a good guy, always there for the others. We have to make the most of his experience.”
Dembélé’s importance is not limited to leadership. Since being moved into a central role, the PSG attacker has become a key part of France’s attacking system, while Zidane is also very confident about his physical condition. “Ousmane has a really impressive work rate. He puts in an incredible amount of energy. He can easily play 90 minutes,” the coach explained. Zidane even revealed that Dembélé could potentially play all four games during the international break, although France have no intention of doing so and will manage his workload carefully.
The message is clear: Dembélé is fit enough to handle a significant workload, but the France staff will not take unnecessary risks and rotations are expected. That could provide Estéban Lepaul with an opportunity during the international break, potentially including at least one start. For now, all eyes will be on Dembélé against Belgium. With Mbappé absent, the PSG forward could wear the armband, lead the attack from a central position and take on a major role in Zidane’s new-look France team.
