Roberto De Zerbi confirms Valentin Rongier will start against Monaco | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Valentin Rongier (29) will start for Olympique de Marseille when they host AS Monaco at the Stade Vélodrome on Sunday evening.

The former captain started for the second time last weekend during Marseille’s 3-1 victory over RC Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis as part of a much-changed side. De Zerbi swapped from a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 that he had been using for the majority of the season to a 3-5-2 with Rongier partnering Pierre-Emille Højbjerg (29) and Adrien Rabiot (29) in midfield.

Rongier’s slow introduction to the squad this season can be understood from the fact that the midfielder spent almost the entirety of the 2023/24 season on the sidelines due to a broken kneecap. Rongier only recovered during the preseason and earned his first minutes under De Zerbi as a late-game substitute.

The manager however has praised Rongier’s attributes stating “He has different characteristics compared to the other midfielders. He’s an important player. He’s the one who keeps order in midfield. He was coming off eight months of injuries, it took time for him to come back to his level. When I was here with Brighton I loved this player.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland