Ousmane Dembele defended by France team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni following disappointing start to Euro 2024

Didier Deschamps' France side came into the Euros as one of the outright favourites to win the tournament but have failed to live up to that billing as they scraped past Austria for a 1-0 win and lulled to a goalless draw against the Netherlands. One player who has seen the bulk of the criticism has been Dembele due to his lack of effectiveness in the final third, however, Real Madrid's Tchouameni has defended the winger.

Speaking to the media, the 24-year-old said: "Ousmane, nothing affects him! Everything is fine, he is an exceptional player. He is very important in our system. We know that this type of player achieves a lot of things and that he will perhaps miss things, it's normal."

Ever since his Barcelona days, Dembele has received a lot of criticism regarding his poor decision-making skills despite his supreme abilities to take on and beat his markers close to the box. It is unlikely that he will be dropped by Deschamps but another poor performance could see his spot in jeopardy as France make their way to the knockout stages.

France will be in action again on Tuesday, June 25 against Poland as they look to win and confirm their spot in the last 16 of the European Championship.