
Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier was named on the bench for France U21’s opening match at the European U21 Championships.
This continues a trend which started at the tail end of the Premier League season. When Sam Allardyce was appointed to guide Leeds to safety, one of his first decisions as coach was to bench the French keeper, bringing in the more experienced Joel Robles to see out the season.
Illan Meslier starts on the bench for France this evening in their #U21EURO opener. No indication he’s carrying a knock. Had started nine of France’s ten qualifiers. #lufc
— Joe Donnohue (@JoeDonnohue) June 22, 2023
Meslier had been under pressure this campaign and faced a lot of criticism from Leeds fans. His performance away to Fulham cost Leeds crucial points in their relegation battle this season. France U21 manager Sylvan Ripoll has decided to go with Lille keeper Lucas Chevalier.
The Euro U21 Championships will run from this week till 8th July 2023.
