Didier Deschamps had to tear his hair out to compose the team that challenges Austria, Thursday September 22, at the Stade de France. Because half of the team is missing compared to the eleven-type that we imagine at the World Cup. Hugo Lloris, Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez, Paul Pogba, Ngolo Kanté and Karim Benzema are on the flank. The opportunity for the newcomers – and sometimes even the replacement for the replacement – to show themselves in the blue jersey and, who knows, to earn a place in the list of 26 players who will fly to Qatar in six weeks . Follow and comment on this match on franceinfo.fr.
Blues with the Blues. Between injuries and malforms, Didier Deschamps had to call on the bottle class. Only six players out of 23 have more than twelve selections. Monegasque Youssouf Fofana, one of the five novices in the group, dismissed this argument at a press conference: “As far as the France team is concerned, okay, we have little experience, but in terms of competition and football matches, I think we are able to get by.”
Blues not very inspired. It is an understatement to say that the content of the matches of the month of June did not reassure any tricolor supporter. On the results side: two defeats and two draws, including the first leg in Austria (1-1). On the tactical side: Didier Deschamps seemed to grope, going from 5 to 4 defenders. We will quickly go over the appalling extra-sporting context that accompanies the Blues, between the harassment cases at the FFF, the controversy around image rights and the Pogba-Mbappé affair.
Blues at the foot of the wall. We would almost forget it, as this competition looks like a gas plant, but the France team is currently ranked last in its group and is under the threat of relegation to group B of the League of Nations … while the Blues are the defending champions.