At halftime of the Ukraine-France match, Didier Deschamps offered reassuring news about Désiré Doué (20, an attacking midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain). Pulled off the field as a precaution after experiencing some tightness in his calf, the young Parisian player is not suffering from any serious injury, according to the national team coach.
“Is there a problem? No, just a little tightness in his calf,” Deschamps told TF1 at halftime. “Nothing serious. But as the first half progressed, he felt it getting a bit tighter, so we didn’t want to take any risks.”
Deschamps opted for caution by substituting Doué at halftime. The PSG midfielder, who was making his fourth appearance for the French national team, had felt increasing tightness in his left calf. Rather than risk anything, the coach preferred to rest him, emphasizing that the discomfort was minor.
For Doué, this decision is part of a broader management strategy: at 19, he is already playing a significant amount of high-level football with both PSG and the French national team. His energy and explosiveness make him a valuable asset, but also expose him to occasional minor muscle issues. At this stage, there are no concerns about him missing any matches or suffering a serious injury, which is reassuring for PSG, who are engaged in a demanding season across all competitions.
