the hierarchy of goalkeepers, the Pavard doubt, the captain… The big questions on Didier Deschamps’ list

Didier Deschamps returns to service. Thursday March 16, the coach of the Blues will announce the list of players called up for the two matches of the French team, as part of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, against the Netherlands on March 24 at the Stade de France and in Ireland on March 27 in Dublin.

Since the World Cup final lost against Argentina (3-3, 2-4 pens), on December 18, the coach has seen several of his players announce their international retirement (Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane, Steve Mandanda , Karim Benzema). It is in this context that Deschamps, now under contract with the Blues until 2026, will have to answer several questions which augur profound changes in the France team.

Among the goalkeepers, what hierarchy behind Maignan?

At the goalkeeper’s post, the identity of the new number 1 is already known. After the international retirements announced by Lloris and Mandanda following the World Cup, Mike Maignan will take over. “We know that Mike is destined to take over“, thus dubbed Lloris, in an interview with The Team. Italian champion with AC Milan last season, Maignan recently returned from injury after missing the World Cup.

Behind him, several goalkeepers are jostling to become number 2 and number 3. Brice Samba is having a great season with Lens. The latter was supervised on February 19 during the match between Lens and Nantes by Franck Raviot. The Blues goalkeeper coach took the opportunity to also observe Alban Lafont. Alphonse Aréola has for him the experience of the status of number 3 in the France team and remains an element of this hierarchy of goalkeepers. The promising Illan Meslier (Leeds) and Lucas Chevalier (Lille) are goalkeepers regularly cited for the future, but start from further back.

Pavard, or not Pavard?

Holder at the 2018 World Cup, Pavard started the 2022 edition in Qatar in the same role, before experiencing a downgrade after the first match against Australia. “He’s not in a good mood.”, explained Deschamps, who did not play a minute more in the competition. The Bayern Munich defender who has performed very well in recent weeks with the Bavarian club, including a double in the league on Saturday, is he now in these “good intentions” ?

Pavard has never hidden his desire to play central defender in club as in selection. But Deschamps continues to want to use him as a right-back. A position to which Jules Koundé ended up convincing. The certainty is that the coach lacks a real specialist in the position. Jonathan Clauss is in difficulty with Olympique de Marseille and was not selected for the World Cup. In the absence of Pavard in the list, Pierre Kalulu (AC Milan), who can play central defender as a side, is an option.

The same midfielder as at the World Cup?

The course of the Blues in Qatar has made it possible to identify the new bosses of the tricolor midfielder. These are called Aurélien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot. The two brilliantly made up for the withdrawals of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté. We should not see them again at this gathering. The first has only played 35 minutes since the start of the season and injured his groin at the end of last week. The second has not played since August and returned to training very recently.

In the absence of these two executives, we could find the same starting midfielder as at the World Cup, with a brilliant Antoine Griezmann as a torchbearer and very good with Atlético de Madrid since the start of 2023. Among the substitutes, Mattéo Guendouzi, Jordan Veretout, Youssouf Fofana and Eduardo Camavinga have the advantage of having taken part in the Doha epic. Boubacar Kamara is unavailable for this gathering (ankle), unlike the novices Khéphren Thuram or Manu Koné, who could create a surprise.

What captain?

This is one of the big questions surrounding this list but also the future of the France team. In the space of a few weeks, the Blues have lost their captain and their vice-captain – Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane -, who have retired from international football. When his list is announced, Deschamps will inevitably be questioned about the identity of the future wearer of the armband.

Two favorites stand out: Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé. The first is a leader à la Lloris, not necessarily the most talkative but with natural authority. The player with 117 caps was once captain during his Blue career, against Denmark in September. When he left the field, it was Mbappé who finished the match with the armband on his arm. In recent weeks, the Bondy prodigy has often been captain of Paris Saint-Germain and welcomes this responsibility with serenity.

After the lost final against Argentina, Lloris had designated him as a potential successor: “I believe that this tournament can be useful for the French team with a passing of the baton, with a generation which is entering the last phase of its career and a new generation of players led by Kylian, who has shown strong leadership during this tournament and even more during this final.” Paul Pogba is a potential captain, but too often injured to pretend to become one, like Presnel Kimpembe, captain twice against Croatia last June.