Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara has been called up by France as a replacement for Adrien Rabiot after he suffered an injury.
Kamara, 23, had an injury-hit campaign of his own last season, but he still made 26 appearances across all competitions and continued to establish himself as a pivotal figure in our midfield.
READ MORE: Emery faces key decision on integration of talented young Villa duo
He’ll now be looking to add to his three caps for France when they face Gibraltar and Greece in their upcoming EURO qualifiers, and it’s positive to see him back in the squad and involved at international level as it will undoubtedly mean a lot to him.
That said, it’s hoped that he comes through unscathed as ultimately these post-season international games are a risk with most players now on holiday and enjoying their break, with Kamara himself having to end his wedding celebrations early after receiving the call.
Unai Emery will be desperate to have a fully-fit squad available for the start of pre-season training, as he’ll look to hit the ground running and get his players prepared for what could be a gruelling season ahead.
While we’ll target further progression in the Premier League, Emery has made no secret of his desire to compete for – and win – a trophy during his time at Villa, while we’ll also hopefully have a deep run in the Europa Conference League to look forward to as well.
In turn, we could end up playing in excess of 50 games if all goes to plan, and so Kamara will be among those who will need to be healthy and fit throughout the campaign to continue to be a pillar of the Villa XI.
For now though, we wish him well on international duty and having now been called up, it would be ideal for him to have some level of involvement in the upcoming qualifiers before having a short break prior to reporting back at Bodymoor Heath.
Boubacar Kamara remplace Adrien Rabiot (lésion du mollet droit) en Bleu pic.twitter.com/Io0L849IhI
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 11, 2023
