In good shape with Al-Shabab, can Yannick Carrasco still start at the Euro?

Author of his first double in the League two weeks ago against Abha then again decisive a few days later against Al-Ittihad, Yannick Carrasco is coming out of an excellent month of April collectively and individually. His team remained undefeated (3 wins, 1 draw) and he was awarded the league’s player of the month title. A great first since his arrival in Saudi Arabia in September.

”The victory over Al-Ittihad is the result of excellent work over the past periodrejoiced the Belgian after beating the candidate to the podium. Al-Shabab faced difficult circumstances during the season after coaching changes (Editor’s note: three different ones followed one another until the arrival of Vitor Pereira at the beginning of February), but the current coach then introduced new ideas which started to bear fruit.”

The arrival last January of former Croatian international Ivan Rakitic also had something to do with it. From twelfth position, Al-Shabab now finds itself in eighth place with the possibility of entering the top 6 by the end of the season. A success this Saturday could in any case allow them to return to the level of Al-Ettifaq, the club coached by Steven Gerrard, and Al-Fateh, the team of a certain Jason Denayer who is currently recovering from an injury after have had a string of good performances.

In front of Doku and Trossard?

Unless there is a huge surprise, Yannick Carrasco will obviously be in Domenico Tedesco’s list to compete in the Euro. With the status of former and potential vice-captain behind Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Jan Vertonghen. On the other hand, his place in the starting lineup is no longer assured. The fault above all is the competition with Leandro Trossard and Jérémy Doku, both in excellent form and who have played throughout the season in the best championship (the Premier League) and the best club competition (the Champions League), unlike Carrasco.

The three players will therefore fight for the left winger place in Domenico Tedesco’s 4-2-3-1. Yannick Carrasco, however, still has several advantages: his experience of major tournaments, his leadership, as well as the status of wild card which generally succeeds better in Trossard and Doku. Like Trossard, he can also switch to a more central position, or even help out in a more defensive full-back role in the event of a change of system. Ultimately, we should rather be delighted to be able to count on three potential starters or replacements of very high level who will be able to make the difference at any time of the matches, depending on the situations and the specificities of the opponents.

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