L’Equipe is reporting that West Ham star Alphonse Areola is set for World Cup heartbreak after a new Didier Deschamps snub.
Hammers News reported at the weekend that Kylian Mbappe had given West Ham goalkeeper Areola a huge World Cup chance for his first ever minutes on the biggest stage.
Although Areola is clearly going to be West Ham’s long-term number one over the next five or six years, he is having to be patient with Lukasz Fabianski rarely putting a foot wrong.
Areola has also had to accept his place in the pecking order with France, playing back-up to Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris. Or so it seemed.
Not starting regular games for the Hammers pushed Areola down to third choice ‘keeper until Mike Maignan’s injury ruled him out of Qatar.
Areola was on the bench as France beat Denmark 2-1 on Saturday to become the first team to qualify for the last 16.
Mbappe looked to have given Areola a huge World Cup chance for his first ever minutes on the biggest stage by helping France to qualify with a game to spare.
L’Equipe: West Ham star Alphonse Areola set for World Cup heartbreak after new Didier Deschamps snub
That means Deschamps is expected to ring the changes and rest key players in the final group game against Tunisia – just as he did in the previous World Cup.
Areola was part of France’s World Cup winning squad in 2018. But back then Steve Mandanda – who was drafted into this World Cup squad as Maignan’s replacement – was Deschamps’ number two ‘keeper.
Given Mandanda had only been drafted into this France squad as a last minute replacement, the assumption was that Areola would be number two to Spurs star Lloris – who is going to be rested against Tunisia.
But L’Équipe claim West Ham star Areola is set for World Cup heartbreak after a new Deschamps snub.
L’Équipe report that France are set to make six or seven changes to their starting XI for their final match of the group stage against Tunisia with qualification already assured.
And the killer line for West Ham’s £100k-per-week goalie states: “Steve Mandanda looks set to replace Hugo Lloris in goal.”
At 37 Mandanda does have plenty of experience. But Areola performed well for France as Maignan’s replacement when he suffered his injury in the last international break before the World Cup.
It means the Hammers ‘keeper continues to wait for his first ever minutes on the world’s biggest stage.
But 29 is still relatively young for a goalkeeper so this will be no means necessarily be Areola’s last World Cup.