French expert Pierre-Etienne Minozio says Sunderland’s Nordi Mukiele faces huge competition for France recall.

French football expert Pierre-Etienne Minonzio of L’Équipe believes Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele faces an uphill battle to return to the France national team – but says a recall can’t be ruled out entirely.

Mukiele joined Sunderland from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer for a fee of £9.5million plus £2.5million in add-ons and has quickly impressed in the Premier League, even scoring his first goal in the 2–0 win over Wolves earlier this month.

The 27-year-old made his senior international debut in 2021 under Didier Deschamps, coming off the bench in a 2–0 World Cup qualifying win over Finland. But since that appearance, the former RB Leipzig and PSG defender has found himself on the fringes of the France setup and is stuck on one cap currently.

Speaking exclusively to The Echo, Minonzio explained why Mukiele’s chances of forcing his way back into the national team remain slim. “The one who will have the most chance, maybe, is Mukiele,” he said. “But in the end of the day, there’s a lot of competition as well. So if you want, let’s think Mukiele, maybe the easiest, the slightest chance for him will be to play right back. But he’s not often playing right back with Sunderland, so it’s not good.”

The French journalist pointed to the depth of talent available to Deschamps, particularly in the defensive areas. “At right back in France, you have Koundé at Barcelona – very, very good. And then you have the one from Chelsea, Gusto, who is good as well. And the problem as well is the fact that he’s not a real right back, Mukiele. He’s a centre-back who often plays right back.”

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Minonzio said Deschamps already has players who fit that mould, meaning Mukiele will need to specialise in one role to stand out. “Deschamps will take one profile like Koundé – a centre-back who can play right back – but not two. He will need a proper right back. But it could be injuries. Otherwise, he could play centre-back on the right. But in this position, you have Konaté, Upamecano, Pavard, who plays in Marseille – these three players are really in front of him.”

Despite the obstacles, Minonzio did note that Mukiele has one advantage off the pitch that could work in his favour. “He has something for him – Mukiele is very close to Dembélé and Mbappé. You know, he was with Mbappé in Sweden last year. They are quite close, and for Deschamps, that can count – especially for players who may not play many minutes. It’s important they have a good relationship with others. So this is a good point for Mukiele. But yeah, he’s very far from it at the moment.”

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