Former Rennes coach Rolland Courbis concedes Ousmane Dembele lacks consistency, but hopes the Barcelona man can star at the World Cup at the end of a difficult season.
After Dembele made a dream move from Borussia Dortmund to Camp Nou last year, his Barca career was rocked by a hamstring tear on his full LaLiga debut, the winger then suffering a setback in January.
But the 20-year-old France international is fit again now and Courbis, who coached him at Rennes, is hopeful Dembele can kick on.
"He is incomprehensible," Courbis said of the wide man.
"I set up to put him in what I think is his best position, the nine and a half - something like [Kylian] Mbappe at Monaco with [Radamel] Falcao, although at Rennes he didn't have Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi or Andres Iniesta there.
"He has the quality to triumph, but the consistency?
VAMOSOctober 10, 2017
"I like to remember the good times, but I also remember the less good times, when Dembele disappeared in the final matches and was thinking about his subsequent transfer. Throughout the season it was like playing with 12 players on the field, but in the last six we seemed to play with 10.
"Now he has come from a serious injury, but I hope he stays fit from now until the end of the season - that way he can go to the World Cup and the season would serve for something.
"The only good thing about the injury is that he can be fit for the World Cup."
'Obviously Messi is the best player in history and being compared to him means that you're doing things right, but I try to be myself': Barcelona star responds to comparisons with Argentine legend
'Darwin Nunez would be gold for Arsenal': Liverpool legend claims Gunners should have signed Uruguayan striker in January
