Eliaquim Mangala’s story is a good example of how players sometimes have to fight back from fitness doubts right before major tournaments. Despite being initially unfit when called up by Didier Deschamps for the 2014 World Cup, the Porto defender committed to specific training programs that got him back into shape.
Mangala confirmed, “Everything’s fine. I had a little problem at the end of the season, I had to get back to 100%. Today, that’s ancient history.” This means he will be fully available for France’s upcoming matches in the group stage:
June 15: France vs Honduras
June 20: France vs El Salvador
June 25: France vs Ecuador
With Mangala fit, Les Bleus have one more strong defender ready to contribute to their World Cup campaign.
