Tchouaméni looking to impress again as France plays Denmark

PARIS: Amid mounting injuries and off-field problems, at least France coach Didier Deschamps has one less thing to worry about heading into the World Cup. Aurélien Tchouaméni looks a very good option to start in midfield. Tchouaméni is 22 with only 13 caps but is already playing with the maturity of a seasoned international and, with Paul Pogba’s place in Qatar looking in doubt, his form is most welcome for Deschamps.

Tchouaméni was excellent as France, missing nine regulars including goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, striker Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Pogba, beat Austria 2-0 in the Nations League on Thursday night. The young midfielder gets another chance to push his claim for a permanent starting place when Les Bleus travel to play Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday for the last group game in the Nations League — the last match for both sides before the World Cup. It should be a competitive game, too, with the Danes still in contention for first place in Group 1 and a place in next year’s Final Four.

Defending champion France already lost their title in June and are fighting with Austria to avoid relegation to the second tier. Last-place Austria, one point behind France, host Croatia, which hold top spot but are only one point ahead of Denmark. His own form and other circumstances have accelerated Tchouaméni’s international career.

Pogba is recovering from a knee injury and is weighed down by an extortion probe involving his elder brother Mathias. Tchouaméni is the latest in a long production line of talent to emerge from the French league, following in the footsteps of Benzema, Kylian Mbappé, Anthony Martial and many others. Like Mbappé and Martial, he came through at Monaco — which boasts one of the finest scouting networks