Rangers and Derek McInnes will love one aspect of Djeidi Gassama after Mauritania win
Rangers winger Djeidi Gassama started as Mauritania beat the Central African Republic on Thursday.
The Gers forward starred in his country's 3-1 win in the AFCON qualifiers at home on 24 September.
While the former Sheffield Wednesday attacker didn't get on the scoresheet, he has taken his fine form into the international break.
Gassama started at left-wing and was heavily involved in Mauritania's victory.
The 23-year-old has been Derek McInnes' preferred option in the starting lineup this season, keeping the likes of Findlay Curtis out of the team.
While the Scottish manager knows all about the forward's talent, he will surely love the work he put in for Mauritania.
Djeidi Gassama's game in numbers as Mauritania win
Gassama shone in the two games against Celtic and is now showcasing his talent on the international stage.
The winger played 83 minutes against the Central African Republic before being replaced by Al-Arabi SC midfielder Abdallahi Mahmoud.
According to Sofascore, Gassama had 41 touches of the ball and recorded a total progression of 55.2 meters, helping his team move the ball up the pitch.
The winger recorded one key pass and one accurate cross, and completed one of his attempted dribbles.
What will stand out is that the forward won all seven of his ground duels and his determination to win the ball for his team will surely delight McInnes.
The Scottish manager values the work his attackers put in defensively and that's probably one reason Gassama has been an important part of the plans in G51.
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Curtis has been demoted to Scotland's Under-21 side after initially making Sebastien Pocognoli's senior squad list.
While the 20-year-old can be called back up for the UEFA Nations League matches, it certainly isn't a good look for him.
Curtis has been in and out of the starting lineup at the Gers this season, which may be a reason why he was told to fly back to Scotland.
With Gassama thriving on the left-wing and Minsu Kim and Badredine Bouanani making an impact on the right, the Scottish youngster will have to do something special to earn consistent game time under McInnes.