Part of the suspense is lifted. In the grip of many uncertainties in recent weeks when considering which players to call for the World Cup in Qatar (November 20-December 18), Didier Deschamps has finally decided. The coach of the France team announced, on the set of TF1 Wednesday, November 9, a list of 25 players selected, including Olivier Giroud and Raphaël Varane, who will face Australia on November 22 for the entry of the Blues in this Global.
Faced with numerous injuries from his players in recent weeks, Didier Deschamps had to compose like never before to form his list. “It’s not the easiest list I’ve had to make. Circumstances mean that there are players recovering, others who are injured or may still be injured. This emphasizes reflection before decisions“, specified the coach in the preamble, before announcing the names of the 25 elected officials.
If we had to retain three main pieces of information from this list, it would therefore be the presence of Olivier Giroud, those of Raphaël Varane, Presnel Kimpembe, Jules Koundé and the absence of Mike Maignan. The first, removed from the France team after Euro 2021 and then recalled only when Karim Benzema was absent, seems to have convinced Didier Deschamps of his ability to play a substitute role during the competition.
The next three (Varane, Kimpembe, Koundé) are still injured and Deschamps will still have a few days ahead of him to take stock with his medical staff and his players on their state of form. The coach will have to submit his final list to Fifa on Monday, November 14 at 7 p.m., the day when all the summoned will meet at Clairefontaine. “Kimpembe had a little problem, but he will already be available on Sunday with his club. Varane, it’s a bit of a long injury, but he too could be available for the first match against Australia, on the 22nd, if all goes well“, specified Deschamps. Mike Maignan, for his part, seems to be too short to compete in the competition and was not selected.
Physical doubts partly explain why Deschamps has called up nine defenders on his list, including Ibrahima Konaté. The latter has only two selections, last June, and has only played four games with Liverpool this season, but he will see Qatar well. He could be called upon to play the role of substitute for substitutes with the Blues, which had caused tensions during Euro 2021 with players who had not set foot on the lawn.
Deschamps has nevertheless resigned himself to retaining 25 players, knowing in particular that all the players will be registered on the match sheet, unlike the Euro. Among all these defenders are neither Jonathan Clauss, nor Lucas Digne, nor Ferland Mendy. The first, 30, sees his World Cup dreams shattered, while Benjamin Pavard and Jules Koundé could occupy the right side of the defense of the Blues. On the left, Deschamps will count on the brothers Lucas and Théo Hernandez, since Digne and Mendy are absent from the list.
In midfield, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot hold the rope to replace Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, the backbone of the 2018 world champion title, both forfeited for the competition. In this sector, Deschamps called on four other players: Youssouf Fofana, Eduardo Camavinga, Jordan Veretout and Mattéo Guendouzi.
It was in attack that there were the least uncertainties. Besides Giroud, Deschamps has called up six other strikers: Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku and Ousmane Dembélé. The latter, who has only played one match with the Blues for a year and a half, has been performing too well with FC Barcelona since the start of the season for Deschamps to be able to do without him.
The coach should trust his trio Griezmann-Mbappé-Benzema to lead the attack of the Blues during the competition. But the winner of the last Ballon d’Or has only played one game in the past three weeks, and will be absent for Real Madrid’s last meeting on Thursday, November 10, before the World Cup. Benzema will therefore not risk adding an injury to his recent physical glitches.
For the others, Deschamps will carefully monitor the last weekend of competition. In the event of additional injury(ies), he will have until Monday, November 21, the day before the entry into the competition of the Blues against Australia, to summon a new player. In the meantime, the coach will find his troops at Clairefontaine next Monday, before flying with them and his staff to Qatar two days later.
The list of 25 Blues
Guardians (3): Hugo Lloris (35, Tottenham, 139 caps), Alphonse Areola (29, West Ham, 5 caps), Steve Mandanda (37, Stade Rennes, 34 caps).
Defenders (9): Raphaël Varane (29, Manchester United, 87 caps), Lucas Hernandez (26, Bayern Munich, 32 caps), Théo Hernandez (25, AC Milan, 7 caps), Benjamin Pavard (26, Bayern Munich, 46 caps ), Presnel Kimpembe (27, Paris Saint-Germain, 28 caps), Jules Koundé (23, FC Barcelona, 12 caps), William Saliba (21, Arsenal, 7 caps), Dayot Upamecano (24, Bayern Munich , 7 caps), Ibrahima Konaté (23, Liverpool, 2 caps).
Backgrounds (6): Adrien Rabiot (27, Juventus, 29 caps), Aurélien Tchouaméni (22, Real Madrid, 14 caps), Youssouf Fofana (23, AS Monaco, 2 caps), Eduardo Camavinga (19, Real Madrid, 4 caps) , Jordan Veretout (29, Olympique de Marseille, 5 caps), Mattéo Guendouzi (23, Olympique de Marseille, 6 caps).
Forwards (7): Karim Benzema (34, Real Madrid, 97 caps), Antoine Griezmann (31, Atlético de Madrid, 110 caps), Kylian Mbappé (23, Paris Saint-Germain, 59 caps), Christopher Nkunku (24, RB Leipzig , 8 caps), Olivier Giroud (36, AC Milan, 114 caps), Ousmane Dembélé (25, FC Barcelona, 28 caps), Kingsley Coman (26, Bayern Munich, 40 caps).