France World Cup Prep: Dembele And Doué Set To Start Under Deschamps

Didier Deschamps expects Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue to start France’s final World Cup warm-up against Northern Ireland at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Monday. The match closes France’s preparation period, following the 2-1 defeat against Ivory Coast that interrupted a nine-game unbeaten sequence under Deschamps.

Deschamps wants this final fixture to refine his preferred World Cup line-up rather than test fringe players. Both Dembele and Doue stayed on the bench against Ivory Coast after contributing to Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League success over Arsenal, but the head coach now plans to use them from kick-off if possible.

France historically enjoy this fixture, having never lost to Northern Ireland in eight meetings, winning five and drawing three. Northern Ireland’s recent away form is poor, with one victory in 11 matches across all competitions, three draws and seven defeats, while conceding 23 goals during that spell.

Despite those numbers, Deschamps warned his squad against underestimating Michael O’Neill’s team. “In this Ireland team, there are a lot of good players who play in England, with young players too. They have a lot of verticality in their game. It’s obviously important for us to finish our preparation with a win. I thank Northern Ireland for accepting because between the teams who wanted to play in the United States or at home and those who didn’t want to play against us.”

France used the Ivory Coast game to hand starts to Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki, with Cherki scoring in the 45th minute. Deschamps also brought on Maghnes Akliouche, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Manu Kone as part of 10 overall changes, but plans a more stable selection for Northern Ireland.

Deschamps outlined how his approach will change for the final preparation match. “I have the possibility to make changes, as it’s a preparation match, Deschamps added. But I’m not going to make five at half-time like in the last game, because the objectives are a little different. But I will make changes, obviously, to manage certain players.”

After the Ivory Coast loss, Deschamps suggested the setback might help concentration before the World Cup. He noted that France rarely lose back-to-back matches under his leadership, with successive defeats happening only three times, most recently in September 2024.

Deschamps reserved particular praise for Doue’s development and profile. “Yes, but there are others here. He [Doue] is a very young player who has just celebrated his 21st birthday. He is decisive with his club, with us too, Deschamps told reporters. He has the versatility, although I think he’s more comfortable on one side. This ability to eliminate, dribble and make a difference, with a high volume of play, which is not always the case for an attacking player. It gives us an extra quality player. If they [Doue and Dembele]are available, they are ready to start, yes.”

France now look to close their World Cup build-up with a controlled performance, reduced rotation and important minutes for Dembele and Doue. Deschamps values a winning result against Northern Ireland, but also uses the match to test combinations and confirm which players can secure starting roles when the tournament begins.