2026 World Cup: New concerns about Kalidou Koulibaly

Kalidou Koulibaly has returned to team training after more than two months away, but his physical condition is far from optimal ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Suffering a thigh injury at his club, he played a few minutes in the preparation match against Saudi Arabia (0-0) without showing his best form. The Senegalese coaching staff must decide whether to accelerate his return for the clash against France or maintain the defensive duo Mamadou Sarr–Moussa Niakhaté, which has been performing well.