Injured Blues captain Hugo Lloris is out of the matches against Austria and Denmark, like defender Théo Hernandez, the French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Monday, replacing them with the goalkeeper. Alban Lafont and the side Lucas Digne. According to the FFF, Hugo Lloris suffers from a right thigh injury diagnosed Monday morning at Clairefontaine, training center of the France team, while Theo Hernandez suffered a tear in the right adductor.
A group weakened by a wave of injuries
These are two new blows for coach Didier Deschamps, whose group was weakened by a wave of injuries before this September rally, marked by two Nations League matches against Austria on Thursday and in Denmark on Sunday. In addition to the absence of Paul Pogba, convalescing after his right knee operation, he misses other indestructible like Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez, N’Golo Kanté, Kingsley Coman and Karim Benzema.
The misfortune continued at the end of the week: Adrien Rabiot, not recovered from a muscle injury, gave way to Boubacar Kamara… himself injured on Friday and forced to withdraw, replaced by Jordan Veretout. Alban Lafont (Nantes), preferred to the historic Steve Mandanda who has nevertheless found playing time in Rennes, is expected at Clairefontaine on Monday during the day, said the FFF, as well as Lucas Digne (Aston Villa).
New faces among the Blues
Lafont should fit into the hierarchy of goalkeepers established by Deschamps, where Mike Maignan, a solid doorman for AC Milan, is the privileged understudy of Captain Lloris (139 caps). And the captain’s armband could go to Raphaël Varane. Lucas Digne is a ghost, present in the Blues group in several international competitions, but not at the 2018 World Cup.
The presence of these new faces is directly linked to this cascade of injuries, with the summons of a few novices such as the Monegasques Benoît Badiashile, Youssouf Fofana or Randal Kolo Muani. Badiashile numerically supplements Kimpembe and Lucas Hernandez, left-handed central defenders like him, by doubling Clément Lenglet (15 selections), at playing time found at Tottenham.
Fofana has also grilled the politeness of circles already capped and finds his former Monegasque partner Aurélien Tchouaméni, now at Real Madrid. The third novice, Randal Kolo Muani, is perhaps the one with the most to gain two months before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (November 20-December 18), where the Blues will defend their planetary crown conquered in 2018 in Russia.
The new list of Blues for the September rally:
Guardians (3): Alphonse Areola (West Ham / ENG), Alban Lafont (Nantes), Mike Maignan (AC Milan / ITA).
Defenders (9): Benoît Badiashile (Monaco), Jonathan Clauss (Marseille), Lucas Digne (Aston Ville/ENG), Jules Koundé (FC Barcelona/ESP), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid/ESP), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich/GER), William Saliba (Arsenal / ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich / GER), Raphaël Varane (Manchester United / ENG).
Backgrounds (5): Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Mattéo Guendouzi (Marseille), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid/ESP), Jordan Veretout.
Forwards (6): Ousmane Dembélé (FC Barcelona/ESP), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan/ITA), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Randal Kolo Muani (Frankfurt/GER), Kylian Mbappé (Paris SG), Christopher Nkunku (Leipzig/GER) .