Now is not the time for innovation: with his eyes fixed on Euro-2024, Didier Deschamps summoned on Thursday a French team without surprise around his star captain Kylian Mbappé to play a first qualifying ball in the countries -Low Friday, October 13.
The returns of Konaté and Clauss
In the absence of a surprise, as would have been a return among the 23 of N’Golo Kanté exiled in Saudi Arabia, Deschamps recalled defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Jonathan Clauss for trips to Amsterdam next week (Friday 13, 8:45 p.m. ), then in Lille against Scotland in a friendly on Tuesday 17 (9 p.m.). After five victories in five matches, the Blues (1st, 15 pts) can validate their ticket for the next Euro (from June 14 to July 14, 2024) in the event of a victory against the Oranje (2nd, 9 pts but one match less) .
Ibrahima Konaté had withdrawn from the previous rally. Injured in the hamstring of his left thigh, the Liverpool defender missed the victory against Ireland in the qualifiers (2-0) a month ago and then the defeat against Germany (2-1). Jonathan Clauss, despite the deep internal crisis that OM is going through, returns to the French team a year after his last match, against Denmark on September 25, 2022 (2-0).
“There is a question of competition, and because of what he achieves in this position, with his own qualities, it is good to see him again as a right back,” explained the Blues coach at the headquarters of the FFF in Paris. The rest of the list fits the logic. Mike Maignan will be there in the cages. Slightly injured against Newcastle with AC Milan in mid-September (0-0), he missed two matches but has since recovered.
His Rossoneri teammate Olivier Giroud, injured in Ireland in his left ankle and withdrawn from Germany, will also be at the Amsterdam meeting. Besides Giroud, Deschamps will rely in attack on his usual weapons: the PSG trio Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Randal Kolo Muani, who will have to recover from the heavy defeat at Newcastle (4-1), but also Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Antoine Griezmann, in good form with Atlético de Madrid, and Marcus Thuram, often decisive with Inter Milan.
Mbappé, “not in his best form”
Regarding the poor form of his captain Mbappé, the coach confirmed that he was “not in the best shape, certainly reflecting the results of his club”. “Obviously Kylian, with everything he is capable of doing and the influence he has on the results of his team, it has a big impact,” he continued, “is that “Is it his summer period where he didn’t have a classic preparation, that there were gaps at that time? But I don’t have any concerns.”
In the middle, Deschamps will first count on the inevitable Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurélien Tchouaméni and Éduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid). Without forgetting Youssouf Fofana and Boubacar Kamara, also very prominent, respectively at Monaco and Aston Villa. Perhaps the line that raises the most questions, especially after the defeat against a Nationalmannschaft in great difficulty, the defense will have to respond in the Netherlands.
It will therefore see the return of Konaté, who could be a starter, and of Clauss. The latter has a right-back position who is struggling to find his No.1 between Benjamin Pavard and Jules Koundé: for good reason, these two players play at Inter Milan and Barça in a central defender role.
“On the other side, Lucas Hernandez can also be a central defender. But between Jules (Koundé) and Benjamin (Pavard), the one who is re-focused in my mind is Benjamin Pavard, who has more difficulty in this position from the side. Today he plays in a 3-man defense at Inter,” continued the coach. After these two matches, the reigning world vice-champions will still have two qualifying matches to play in November: in Nice against Gibraltar, on Saturday 18, and in Athens against Greece on Tuesday 21.