De Ketelaere and Doku are uncertain: an opportunity for Johan Bakayoko with the Devils? “I listened to the coaches too much”

Behind there already stands a line of uncertain people. Roméo Lavia left the pitch in the 67th minute during the split between Chelsea and Arsenal. Jérémy Doku also did not participate in Manchester City’s match against Brighton. “He has a quadriceps muscle problemdetailed Pep Guardiola. He can’t sprint all out. I think everyone can benefit from this truce.” Not to mention that Charles De Ketelaere is injured in his biceps femoris. The Italian press has already revealed that the injury is not too serious but that the Atalanta player will miss the Devils’ first match, against Italy this Thursday, whatever happens.

Zero minutes with the Devils in October

So much bad news for Tedesco which should nevertheless offer opportunities to others. In particular to Samuel Mbangula, the Juventus sensation, whom the coach decided to call up for the first time. It remains to be seen who will actually show up in Tubize, but Bakayoko will inevitably be there too. Like during the October rally when he competed… 0 minutes. The Belgian is now gradually coming out of his poor form. The proof: after scoring against Girona in the Champions League last Tuesday, he found the net in the league this weekend, during PSV’s big victory against Carl Hoefkens’ NAC Breda.

Bakayoko is finally starting to be decisive again after a long period of drought (between August 17 and November 5, he only scored one goal). “It was a difficult timeconfessed the Devil. A lot is expected of me because of what I showed last season. Because of an injury, for example, I couldn’t train for ten days but I had to play 60 minutes. Then I joined the national team (in October) where I haven’t played. In fact, I didn’t have my legs for three weeks. (sic). In this kind of scenario, you don’t reach your level.”

Narrow-minded and creative

With a few matches in his legs, his form curve is much more positive. “I had so many things on my mindadmit Bakayoko. I was telling myself: I’m not playing well because of this, that… When I came back to the club, I realized that I hadn’t actually trained for three weeks. I started listening to coaches too much, listening to people too much, about how I should play. But I’m a narrow-minded person. When I am stubborn, then I can express my creativity. Slowly, I go back up the slope. This is just the beginning.”

That’s what Peter Bosz thinks too. The PSV coach expects even more from his striker. “He still needs to improve a lot of things: his positioning, his defensive withdrawal – just so he doesn’t get caught behind his backanalyzed Bosz. But he’s a really good player. For his age, he is already well advanced in his career. You just don’t have to panic when you have a few bad matches. You must then speak with the player. It’s normal that Johan was a little lost. He had never experienced such a situation. So far, everything was always going in the right direction, upwards, for him.”