Toulouse FC goalkeeper Guillaume Restes will make his senior France debut on Monday night. Manager Zinédine Zidane has selected him to start against Belgium in the Nations League.
Zidane confirmed his starting lineup for the top-of-the-group clash. At 21, Restes, a club academy product, reaches a major milestone after 36 caps for France's youth teams and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. He steps in for Mike Maignan between the posts.
His Toulouse coach's reaction
Eric Allibert, the goalkeeping coach at Toulouse, reacted to the call-up. "His selection for this gathering is a form of continuity. It's almost normal. He has been preparing for this since he was 11," he said. Allibert believes his protégé has more to give. "Guillaume is evolving. He is at 70% of his potential. You will see, it will be something special when he reaches maturity!" he stated.
This individual honour comes as Toulouse handle a mid-table position in Ligue 1. The club currently sits 13th with 5 points from five matches, a patchy run of results (1W, 2D, 2L). The latest outing, a 2-3 home defeat to Pau on October 3rd, highlighted the team's defensive issues.
Restes' return, bolstered by his 101 Ligue 1 appearances, will be closely watched ahead of the next fixture away to league leaders Monaco on October 10th. His rise with the national team could inject fresh confidence into a side that has conceded 9 goals this season. The Toulouse keeper will face a formidable Belgian attack tonight, tasked with preserving France's one-point lead at the top of the group.
The original report is at ladepeche.fr
