Gideon Mensah

Key strength: Pace and recovery

Overlapping full-back

Gideon Mensah finds himself in the heat of a relegation battle at AJ Auxerre, with the club languishing in 16th position and fighting for survival. The 27-year-old Ghanaian left-back has made just two appearances totaling 180 minutes this season, yet has already accumulated three yellow cards - a testament to his combative approach and willingness to put his body on the line for the cause. Valued at €3.5 million, Mensah operates as an overlapping full-back, using his pace and recovery speed to provide defensive stability while offering width in attack. Despite his modest rating of 50, his FIFA attributes reveal a defender who compensates with physicality (55) and defensive awareness (55). With Auxerre's top performers like Lassine Sinayoko and Kévin Danois struggling to lift the team, Mensah's aggressive defensive style could be crucial in the desperate scrap for points. Every match now is a cup final for Auxerre, and Mensah's fearless tackling mentality embodies exactly the fighting spirit they need in this survival campaign.