It took pens to do it, but France and Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne progressed through to the Nations League semi-finals. When the Frenchman isn't patrolling the left-hand side for Villa, he can be seen playing for his home country as they are set to face their next challenge, having defeated Croatia.
On June 5th, at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, France will take on Spain. The winner of that match will then face the winner of Germany and Portugal. While it may not come as a surprise, it is still noteworthy that Digne has once again been called up to the French side, as shared by the Équipe de France social media page on X.
Often a starter, Digne and Theo Hernández are going to jockey for the starting LB role under Didier Deschamps.
Meeting once again in a tournament semi-final, the upcoming fixture gives something of a chance for France to exact revenge against Spain after their 2024 Euro exit at the same stage as what they are about to play in during this year's competition.
In any event, it will be a good litmus test for Les Bleus. The number three team in the world, according to the FIFA rankings, will play the number two side. Occasions to truly see how one stacks up against the best come up infrequently, particularly for national teams. For all of the ill will toward the international break during the heat of club activities, it has resulted in this excellent matchup for fans to look forward to.
More recognition deserved for Aston Villa LB
Digne is unquestionably one of the best outside-back options in the Premier League. Particularly when looking at the Team of the Year selections from the various publications and seeing who has been included, Digne has been snubbed.
For Villa, Digne has done well to produce and has given a difficult decision for Unai Emery each match. Ian Maatsen, by all accounts, is also looking like a promising option there. The continued and consistent play from Digne has staved off the Dutchman from taking his spot in the starting XI on most occasions.
Now set to step up for his country, Digne will have an excellent international stage to showcase why Emery and Deschamps have as much faith as they do in the Villan.