Euro 2024 quarterfinal: Why are Coman and Dembele not starting in France vs Portugal?

Kingsley Coman suffered a groin injury in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga match against Cologne and even missed its UEFA Champions League knockout matches.

Ousmane Dembele warms up prior to the UEFA EURO 2024 quarterfinal match between Portugal and France at Volksparkstadion. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Ousman Dembele and Kingsley Coman were not in the starting lineup for the France in its Euro 2024 quarterfinal clash against Portugal, being played at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany.

Coman has not started a single match in the ongoing European Championship in Germany whereas it was the second time Dembele has been benched in this tournament, with the previous occasion being against Belgium.

Dembele has not scored or assisted so far and has only one attempt on target in Euro 2024. Dembele also has the 16th worst passing accuracy in the squad and has a crossing accuracy of just 30.3 per-cent.

Coman, on the other hand, suffered a groin injury in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga match against Cologne and even missed its UEFA Champions League knockout matches.

Although he was deemed fit for the Euros, he has not started for France this campaign but is on the bench and can come on as a substitute.

Coman began his career with US Sénart-Moissy in 2002, at the age of six. At eight, he was scouted by Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with whom he joined the youth academy in 2004. After nine years in the club’s youth system, Coman made his professional debut for PSG on 17 February 2013 against Sochaux.

Despite not starting in any of the group stage matches, Coman has come on as substitute in France’s o-o draw against Netherlands in the second match.

Didier Deschamps has preferred other wingers like Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola over Coman in the tournament so far.