Lucas Digne was handed a start for France on Monday evening following his consistently strong performances for Aston Villa.
The left-back was recalled by his home nation after several years on the sidelines and he helped Didier Deschamps’ side record a 2-0 win over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.
There were several Aston Villa players on show, including Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans starting for Belgium.
Both Tielemans and Digne got booked in the game, with the latter after just seven minutes following a few handbags with Lois Openda.
Get Football News France handed the Villa player a rating of 5/10, with the outlet suggesting that he ‘struggled’ early on and ‘grew’ into the game.
Unai Emery’s side have a big fixture list coming up after the international break, starting with a home clash against Everton.
Ian Maatsen will be eager to start for Villa following his summer transfer and he might just get that when they open their Champions League account next week.
Foot Mercato explained how Digne was ‘calm’ at left-back, with MVZ Sports agreeing that the player wasn’t fazed from a defensive aspect, even if he could have provided more from an attacking sense.
Lucas Digne returns to France
‘The Aston Villa defender struggled in the opening stages to keep up with the pace of Dodi Lukebakio and often found himself tracking back to fill the space he had vacated,’ wrote Get Football News France. ‘As the game went on, he grew in stature and began to find more comfortability.’
‘Having the confidence of Didier Deschamps in the left defender position, the Aston Villa player had a starting role to acquire,’ wrote Foot Mercato. ‘Finally, he did not produce the performance of the century but was calm against a very sad Dodi Lukebakio this evening. Offensively, a few incursions but he is much less sharp than a Théo Hernandez. He will have to show more to hope to settle in this position.’
‘Digne did not particularly shine but was calm defensively,’ wrote MVZ Sports. ‘Offensively, he struggled to bring danger, showing himself to be less impactful than a Théo Hernandez. He will have to do more to establish himself sustainably in this position.’
Will Ian Maatsen be a regular starter under Unai Emery?
The Dutch star helped Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League final last season and his purchase was a big coup for the team.
Maatsen hasn’t started a game yet, but with Villa in Champions League action after the international break, then there are plenty of games to go about.
One thing is for sure, from an attacking perspective, Maatsen is far better than his counterpart and many will argue that he will become Villa’s regular starter.
Yes, Digne has done superbly well, but if Maatsen showcases the performances he displayed in Dortmund colours, then the returning France international will find himself on the bench.
Maatsen hasn’t started a game yet, but with Villa in Champions League action after the international break, then there are plenty of games to go about.
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