Algeria call up Adil Bourabaa after Nabil Bentaleb is ruled out

Algeria have called up Le Mans midfielder Adil Bourabaa for the first time after Nabil Bentaleb withdrew from the squad through injury.

Bentaleb, 31, was expected to join the national team on Monday but has been ruled out after suffering an injury while playing in the French league. The Lille midfielder has won 63 caps and scored six goals for Algeria.

He will miss Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers against Zambia in Tizi Ouzou on 25 September and Burundi in Bujumbura on 29 September. He will also be unavailable for the friendly against Niger in Tizi Ouzou on 6 October.

The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) confirmed that Bourabaa, 21, had been drafted into the squad as Bentaleb’s replacement.

Bourabaa has made a strong start to the season with Le Mans, scoring three goals and providing two assists in five matches. His first senior call-up comes after he had been selected by Rafik Saifi for the Algeria Under-23 squad.

The versatile midfielder’s performances have earned him promotion to the senior side, with his five attacking contributions making him one of the most decisive players in Ligue 1 alongside Algeria team-mate Amine Gouiri of Olympique de Marseille, Lassine Sinayoko of Paris FC, Kamory Doumbia of Brest and Florian Thauvin of RC Lens.

Bourabaa’s rapid rise follows a significant change in his career over the past year. He was playing in Ligue 3 with AS Beauvais a year ago before moving to Pays de la Loire at the start of February to join a Ligue 2 club.

He then helped his side reach the top flight at the end of last season, and has now been rewarded with his first invitation to Algeria’s senior squad by manager Brahim Hemdani.