Nice’s young midfield has carried a strikingly fresh face through the opening weeks of the Ligue 1 season, but Djibril Coulibaly’s sixth straight start ended early against Strasbourg on Sunday. The 17-year-old left the pitch in a dazed state in the 37th minute after appearing to suffer a severe bout of fatigue.
Key takeaways
- Djibril Coulibaly was substituted during Nice’s Ligue 1 Matchday 6 meeting with Strasbourg.
- The 17-year-old midfielder was replaced by Algeria international Hicham Boudaoui in the 37th minute.
- Coulibaly had started each of Nice’s first six league fixtures under Olivier Pantaloni.
- He was helped back to the bench by two Nice medical staff members after repeatedly touching his face and eyes.
- The Pontoise-born academy product will turn 18 on 18 November.
A worrying early departure
Coulibaly suddenly looked shaken before half-time and was unable to continue. He departed looking groggy, with Nice’s medical team supporting him as he made his way to the bench.
Boudaoui entered in his place, ending another important evening for a teenager who has rapidly become part of Pantaloni’s plans on the Côte d’Azur.
Fast-tracked into Nice’s first team
Born in Pontoise and developed by Nice, Coulibaly had already made two Ligue 1 appearances from the bench last season. This campaign has brought a far more prominent role.
The Strasbourg match marked his sixth start in six league rounds under new coach Pantaloni, an unusually swift rise for a player still several weeks away from his 18th birthday. His early withdrawal, however, brought an abrupt halt to that run after he was hit by a major spell of fatigue before the interval.
