According to L'Equipe, former French international Bixente Lizarazu believes Diouf has the qualities to play as a full-back, but France lacks sufficient talent in that position.

Lizarazu stated: "Zidane completely revamped the flanks, no longer using Digne and the Hernández brothers, and heavily relying on Kalulu on the right. He wants to start from scratch on the wings. I really liked Truffert's performance against Italy; he was more complete than in his first match against Turkey, performing well both defensively and offensively."

Lizarazu also commented: "I also really appreciate Diouf's performance; he showed strong physical power in challenges. He played with great determination and commitment. Overall, Zidane is taking risks in all aspects of the game, but his choices at full-back are the most innovative. A coach can have his own ideas, like Fabregas transforming Dani Carvajal into a defensive midfielder, or Aimé Jacquet using Lilian Thuram as a right-back. This could also be the case for Diouf under Zidane. For this position, I think he has all the qualities. He works well with the defense, and his physical attributes and technical ability will help him improve in this role."

He added: "However, while these choices are encouraging, the reality shows that we don't have enough full-back resources, which worries me. This problem has persisted for several years. I don't know if it's because players aren't interested in this position, or if we haven't developed them well enough. It's a shame to lack a proper development program. Full-back is undoubtedly the most demanding position. You need the stamina to cover the entire flank, the ability to sprint forward, and the defensive capability to mark wingers, who are usually the fastest and most skilled dribblers on the opposing team. Offensively, you need technical skill—the individual ability to dribble and cross. This position also requires you to have the defensive capabilities of a pure defender."

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