Kalidou Koulibaly
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Captains in World Cup opener
Koulibaly registered four tackles (one won), five clearances and one interception in Tuesday's 3-1 loss against France.
Analysis: Koulibaly captained Senegal as they lost 3-1 to France. The defender was returning from an injury in the build-up to the tournament, and this may have had an impact as he only won one of his four tackles. He was aerially and physically dominant in the first half and made a total of five clearances with one interception. The attacking strength of the French team came into play in the second half, and the depth of their bench made the difference as Kylian Mbappe scored two and Bradley Barcola scored the other.
Logs eight minutes in practice game
Koulibaly (quadriceps) played eight minutes as a substitute during Senegal's friendly matchup versus Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Analysis: Koulibaly has regained health just in time to be an option in the major national-team tournament. The defender dealt with muscular issues since April but could eventually be available from kickoff, challenging Mamadou Sarr for a central role alongside Moussa Niakhate. The former Napoli and Chelsea player is a key presence in Senegal's defense and could help the team to limit opposing attacks, racking up clearances, tackles and interceptions in the process. He may also serve as an aerial threat if he can push forward on attacking set pieces.
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