Three Liverpool players were in action on Monday, but it was a case of watching on from the bench for Ibrahima Konate as Didier Deschamps again mixed up his centre-backs.
After watching the entirety of France’s run to the Euro semi-finals this summer, Konate finally got his chance in the XI against Italy last week.
But he did not take his opportunity in the 3-1 defeat, with French outlet Le Parisien saying he “produced a truly insufficient display.”
With Deschamps seeking a reaction against Belgium, he dropped Konate to the bench in favour of a Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba pairing – who ultimately kept a clean sheet.
The duo started every game at the Euros for Deschamps, and Liverpool’s No. 5 has a point to prove if he is to unsettle his manager’s thinking.
Konate, though, was not the only big name on the bench as neither Kylian Mbappe nor Antoine Griezmann started the Nations League match – a decision Deschamps said was “about management and rotation.”
France won 2-0, and while it will be of personal disappointment for Konate that he was made to return to the bench, he will at least return to Liverpool fresh and injury-free.
Elsewhere, days after making his debut for Wales off the bench, Lewis Koumas earned his first start for his country as Wales met Montenegro.
Craig Bellamy’s side were met by biblical rainstorms, but early goals from ex-Red Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore would be enough to seal a 2-1 win.
Koumas would play just the first 45 minutes in conditions that did not encourage attractive football, leaving the 18-year-old to finish with 12 touches from his role on the right wing.
Wales Online gave him a rating of six-out-of-ten having “showed some promising flashes and looked after possession well enough. A decent first start, but certainly more to come.”
He was subbed at halftime, and the Guardian has suggested it was due to injury, which we hope is not serious after a bright start on loan at Stoke this season.
Finally, Tyler Morton and Jarell Quansah both started in England U21s’ 4-1 win over Austria – they played 72 and 81 minutes respectively.
