Koundé's Fitness Update Ahead of World Cup

For a brief moment in Lille, France held its breath. Jules Koundé did not reappear after half-time in the 3-1 win over Northern Ireland on Monday night, and with the World Cup looming, the sight of the Barcelona defender sitting on the bench stirred immediate concern.

It did not last long.

According to L'Équipe, Koundé’s withdrawal was not a tactical shake-up from Didier Deschamps but a precaution. The 27-year-old felt muscular pain during the first half and did not risk a second. Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto stepped in after the break.

The key line for France: there is no alarm over his fitness for the tournament in North America. Barring a setback, Koundé is still expected to start for Les Bleus at the World Cup, even after a difficult, stop-start campaign with Barcelona.

Deschamps has options if anything changes. Gusto offers energy and width on the right, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Warren Zaire-Emery, who has already shown he can operate in that role at club level, provides a very different profile – calmer on the ball, more inclined to drift inside and knit play.

France will cross the Atlantic on Thursday to begin their US training camp, sharpening details and managing workloads before their World Cup opener against Senegal on Tuesday.

The scare around Koundé has been parked. Now comes the real test.