In a few days’ time, on Nov. 9, during the 8 p.m. live news bulletin on TF1, France‘s biggest TV channel, Didier Deschamps will announce his 26-man squad for the World Cup. The France head coach is meticulous when it comes to building a squad, always considering the structure of his group, the mix of egos, the personality dynamics and the balance of skills. But his task has been made more difficult this time around by the players he keeps losing to injuries.
Paul Pogba is the latest France star to have withdrawn from the World Cup after suffering another problem in his recovery from a knee injury. His fellow midfielder N’Golo Kanté preceded him, ruled out by a recurring hamstring issue. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan is a huge doubt too given nagging calf issues, while it’s still not certain defender Raphael Varane will be fit in time after limping off during Man United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Oct. 22. There are question marks over the fitness of defenders Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe, while veteran forward Karim Benzema has not been 100% for a while either, missing Real Madrid‘s last three games.
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It is a big headache for Deschamps and the loss of Pogba and Kante in particular is a huge blow. Even if they haven’t been at their best for months, and even if they are not the same players than they were four years ago when they led this team to World Cup glory in Russia, not having them in Qatar is massive.
Within his preferred 3-4-1-2 formation, Deschamps will have to replace Pogba’s leadership, swag and character both on and off the pitch. He will have to replace Kanté’s activity, unselfish effort and his positional intelligence. The French have depth, of course: Aurélien Tchouaméni was always seen as the heir to Pogba and Kanté, but his time has perhaps arrived earlier than we anticipated. At 22, he will now have a huge role to play.
What Tchouameni is showing with Real Madrid so far this season is very encouraging and he has taken his game to the next level, gaining tactical knowledge, presence, experience and confidence. But is he ready to start and star at a World Cup? It might be a bit early, but you would not put it past him to have an amazing tournament given his abundant talent.
