“The concern is the midfielder. It’s the question mark, it will be the gauge of this World Cup”said Wednesday, November 9 Bixente Lizarazu, football consultant for franceinfo, after the list of 25 players announced by Didier Deschamps for the World Cup in Qatar which will take place from November 20 to December 18. “This midfielder is worrying because he is inexperienced”adds the world champion in 1998.
franceinfo: Did this list of 25 players presented by Didier Deschamps surprise you?
Bixente Lizarazu: Not too much, he made the choice of 25 rather than 26, you will have to ask him the question why, because he could have taken one more attacker. What I have the impression of reading in particular in relation to the defense is the absence of Jonathan Clauss, perhaps this French team will play four behind. Me, that’s what I want, that’s what I hope considering that Lucas and Théo Hernandez are in the left-back position and then Jules Koundé and Benjamin Pavard in the right-back position.
“I am very happy that Olivier Giroud is on this list because he deserves it, because he has done everything for it and he is excellent with AC Milan and the France team. He is a player team and that it will be a great number two for Karim Benzema, I have no doubts.”
Bixente Lizarazu, franceinfo football consultantat franceinfo
Do you have any concerns?
The concern is the midfield. This is the question mark, this will be the gauge of this World Cup. This midfielder is worrying because he is very inexperienced. Aurélien Tchouaméni has only 14 selections, Adrien Rabiot has only about thirty and it is a priori the two midfielders who left to start. The others Youssouf Fofana, Mattéo Guendouzi, Jordan Veretout, Eduardo Camavinga have very little experience. There is also the absence of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, although anyway, there was no hope with them in relation to their respective problems. I’m not worried about the goalkeepers, the defenders, the attackers but the midfielder is my question. From this midfield will depend our course.
Regarding the defenders, what is your feeling about the way Didier Deschamps will manage this group?
There is the state of form and there is the possible relapse of players who have been injured. There are players who can play in central defense but who can also play as full-backs. Regarding the absentees, there is Mike Maignan who has a calf problem, he is almost a number one bis goalkeeper. It is for me an important absence especially if Hugo Lloris is injured during the competition because he is a very good goalkeeper. Lucas Digne has already missed the World Cup in 2018 and there he is not taken. I consider that he has always held his place. What I’m waiting for now is to know in what system we’re going to play in relation to the defenders we have.