Sheffield Wednesday star Yan Valery set to step up World Cup preparations with international double-header
Sheffield Wednesday ace Yan Valery is expected to play a key role in Tunisia’s World Cup campaign this summer.
Sheffield Wednesday right-back Yan Valery is expected to step up his World Cup preparations when Tunisia face Austria in their penultimate warm-up match on Monday evening.
The North African outfit, who are managed by former Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi, will take on Austria in Vienna before locking horns with Belgium on Saturday afternoon in Brussels ahead of travelling across the Atlantic for this summer’s showpiece event, which is now just over a week away.
Valery was included in Tunisia’s 26-man squad for their third successive World Cup campaign just over a fortnight ago and is expected to be installed as their starting right-back at the tournament. He started each of their four matches at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this season.
The defender, who left Hillsborough on loan in February, joining Swiss outfit BSC Young Boys for the remainder of the season, was not included in the Tunisia squad for the 2022 World Cup, meaning this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico will mark his first taste of football’s greatest show.
Tunisia will compete in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden. They will take on Sweden in their tournament opener on June 15 before locking horns with Japan and then the Netherlands.
Valery, who will become the first Wednesday player to appear at the World Cup since John Sheridan represented the Republic of Ireland at the 1994 edition of the tournament, will be hoping to help Tunisia navigate their way out of the group stage for the very first time after falling at the first hurdle in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2022.
They were unfortunate to miss out on a place in the last-16 four years ago after conceding just one goal over their three matches in Group D. They even beat eventual runners-up France by a goal to nil in their final group game.
Valery, who is likely to be sold by Wednesday this summer, has so far earned 21 caps for his country since making his debut in September 2022. He won four of his 21 caps during qualifying for this summer’s World Cup.