Luc De Fougerolles
FUL
CB
Back Line Anchor
Oct 12, 2005 (20)
Right
6'0"
165 lb
FulhamSet for loan move
De Fougerolles (not injury related) is set to join Real Salt Lake on loan from Fulham through January, with an option to extend through May, according to Tom Bogert of The Athletic.
Analysis: De Fougerolles featured in all five of Canada's World Cup matches, starting four, including the round of 16 loss to Morocco that marked the country's deepest ever men's World Cup run, and spent last season on loan at Belgian club Dender EH. The 20 year old center back, born in London but a Canada international since 2024 with 18 caps, made his Fulham debut in a Carabao Cup win over Ipswich in 2023 and signed a four year contract through 2029 last summer, and is now expected to get a fresh opportunity in the MLS and is therefore not an option for coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Ruled out against Sunderland
De Fougerolles (undisclosed) is unavailable for Sunday's clash against Sunderland.
Analysis: De Fougerolles will miss Sunday's match after being forced off in the 68th minute of Thursday's EFL Cup win over Wimbledon following a heavy challenge. The defender hasn't recovered in time to return to the squad, keeping him sidelined after making his first cup start of the campaign. Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey start together in central defense as expected, while De Fougerolles will look to work his way back into contention for the upcoming fixtures.
Doubtful against Sunderland
De Fougerolles (undisclosed) is doubtful for Sunday's clash against Sunderland and needs further assessment, according to coach Alvaro Arbeloa, per Jack Kelly of the Fulhamish Podcast. "We don't know yet, but we hope it's nothing serious. He needs to play every week, so maybe we need to take a decision over the next few days."
Analysis: De Fougerolles left Thursday's EFL Cup win over Wimbledon after 68 minutes following an intense tackle, in what had been his first cup start for the club as part of a center back partnership with Joachim Andersen. His uncertain status now leaves Fulham needing to lean on two of Andersen, Calvin Bassey and Jorge Cuenca to fill the middle of defense should he be unavailable for the upcoming match against the Black Cats.
Forced off in official Fulham debut
De Fougerolles played 68 minutes in Thursday's EFL win over Wimbledon but left the field after suffering an intense tackle, according to the team's official match report.
Analysis: De Fougerolles was busy in defensive work during his first cup start for Fulham, featuring as part of a center-back partnership with Joachim Andersen. The offseason signing will hope to avoid a major issue but could be limited in the upcoming clash against Sunderland. Such event would reduce the team's defensive depth, with two among Andersen, Calvin Bassey and Jorge Cuenca taking the starting spots in the middle of the defense.
Makes four clearances
De Fougerolles recorded one shot (zero on goal), one cross (zero accurate), four clearances and one chance created in Saturday's 3-0 loss against Morocco. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 49th minute.
Analysis: De Fougerolles was busy throughout the game and had at least four clearances for a third consecutive contest. The defender, who's under contract at Fulham, started four of Canada's five matches in the World Cup despite being just 21 years old. He had 22 clearances, eight tackles, two interceptions and three shots (one on target).
Will return to Fulham
De Fougerolles will return to parent club Fulham following the conclusion of his loan spell at FCV Dender, though he is currently representing Canada at the World Cup.
Analysis: De Fougerolles made 30 appearances across all competitions for Dender in the Belgian Pro League, contributing two assist across 1,926 minutes and establishing himself as a regular starter in the Belgian top flight. De Fougerolles signed a new four-year contract with Fulham in July 2025 before joining Dender on a season-long loan, and now returns to the club with valuable European experience and a World Cup campaign with Canada underway, heading into the 2026/27 season as one of the most promising young defenders in the club's academy system.
Plays from bench
De Fougerolles generated one shot (zero on goal) in Sunday's 1-0 win against South Africa.
Analysis: De Fougerolles would appear from the bench for the first time all tournament as Canada played their first-ever knockout match, a bit of a surprising move. He would eventually find the field in the 59th minute, playing 31 minutes while earning three tackles won and three clearances. He will now hope to return to a starting role, proving solid once he was on the field against South Africa.
Single shot in loss
De Fougerolles recorded one shot (one on goal) in Wednesday's 2-1 loss against Switzerland.
Analysis: De Fougerolles took a single shot during Wednesday's loss. The defender failed to do much more than that throughout the match. He will look to contribute as a limited option in the knockout stage, where he will be called on for more defensive work with little space to get forward.
Busy defensively
De Fougerolles generated three tackles (two won) and eight clearances in Friday's 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 53rd minute.
Analysis: De Fougerolles had everything to do defensively throughout Friday's draw, he made three tackles and eight clearances and was constantly involved in shutting down the Bosnian attack. He snuffed out plenty of attacking moves on his own and was on the spot to snuff out a variety of different attempts they made to get in the box. Against Qatar De Fougerolles will likely have less to do defensively, though he could be busy in the group stage finale against Switzerland.
Plays one hour Monday
De Fougerolles (concussion) played 59 minutes in Monday's 2-0 friendly victory over Uzbekistan, confirming he has fully cleared concussion protocol and is fit for Canada's World Cup campaign.
Analysis: De Fougerolles had been working through concussion protocol after coming off injured in his final club match on May 17, making his extended run-out against Uzbekistan a significant relief for coach Jesse Marsch. The young defender adds useful depth to a Canadian back line that is steadily recovering its injured players ahead of the June 12 World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Out of concussion protocol
De Fougerolles (concussion) is no longer in concussion protocol, and his fitness is expected to be assessed Thursday, Matthew Scianitti of TSN Sports reports.
Analysis: De Fougerolles will continue to work on recovering physical form after coming off injured in his last club game on May 17. The young defender should be able to train in upcoming days alongside the rest of the Canadian squad ahead of the World Cup. While he's not expected to start, he could add depth for a national team that is slowly recovering injured players and could have all of De Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Moise Bombito (leg) and Joel Waterman available in the group stage matches.
Questionable for World Cup
De Fougerolles (lower body) was forced off in the 62nd minute of Dender's 3-2 loss on Sunday after appearing to pick up another lower body issue, adding to growing injury concerns surrounding Canada's defensive unit ahead of the World Cup, according to Canadian Soccer Daily.
Analysis: De Fougerolles had already missed time earlier this spring with an ankle problem that limited his involvement in Canada's World Cup buildup matches against Iceland and Tunisia, making this latest setback particularly worrying. The 20-year-old center-back had emerged as one of Canada's most promising young defenders this season, and his potential absence would be another significant blow for coach Jesse Marsch, who is already dealing with a badly depleted back line heading into the tournament. Canada opens the World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12, leaving just 27 days to assess the full extent of the issue.
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