Can we still count on Kanté and Varane?
One has missed more than half of the matches of the Blues since the World Cup. The other has accumulated 22 absences (club and selection) in 2021/2022. Of these two frames, Kanté seems the most sensitive case. Because if Tchouaméni has proven that he has the makings of a starter, Kanté’s profile remains unique, especially in the 3-4-3 imagined by Deschamps. When he is there, the lives of others become easier. Same observation for Varane, whose mere absence upset the defensive system of the Blues in June. They hold between their feet the sacrosanct French balance. So, if we have to count on them, we must also pray for them: that physical glitches spare them at the start of the school year and in December.
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Is Nkunku really threatening Griezmann?
The question made sense at the kick-off of France – Croatia. Preferred to the Madrilenian who is going through a bad patch and no longer has the expected influence, Christopher Nkunku had a perfect opportunity to show the coach that he was a more than viable solution. After two matches which had seen him gain strength, in Croatia and Austria, the Leipzig player did not take his chance. Average, neutral in his expression, he did not sublimate the trio he composed with Benzema and Mbappé. Far from it. Came into play at the end of the match, the man with 65 appearances in a row in the blue jersey did not see his margin on Nkunku melt.
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Involuntarily, does Ben Yedder revive Giroud?
A decisive pass, sublime it is true, but that’s all. Wissam Ben Yedder once again wasted an opportunity to show off at this gathering. Moreover, after his 62 minutes spent on the meadow in Split, we did not see him again. Once again, the man with 19 capes was quite ghostly. Didn’t he consume all his credit in the eyes of Didier Deschamps? Does she relaunch Olivier Giroud, who had not been retained by DD? To the first question, the answer is not obvious, while the native of Sarcelles never gets there with the Blues. In the second, the answer is clearer: no. Giroud is not absent because of his qualities as a footballer. But it is his status that is the problem. And his obstacle to a return to the France team is not WBY, but KB.
Did the Hernandezes lose big?
Theo more than Lucas, potentially. Evidence of recent months, the Milanese suffered a violent backlash. It costs two goals against Denmark (1-2) and suffered from the transition to four against Austria (1-1). His offensive contribution is undeniable in 3-4-3 but should not make us forget his defensive deficiencies, which are very present. Like Clauss, he is saved by the system and this particular role of piston. For Lucas, the situation is less critical but almost as worrying for the Blues. In the axis, he lost all the grinta he had in his left lane. And without that, he almost becomes an ordinary central … In this position, competition will be strong for a starting place in Qatar. And he participated in reviving the debate.
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What is Jonathan Clauss for?
To be only a double in a scheme with three defenders. On this rally, the Lensois will have played only twelve minutes, a sign that he is starting from afar to find a place in the sun in a possible list at the World Cup. For Deschamps, his case is clear: he can only play as a piston. “It’s not doing him a favor to put him there,” explained DD to The L’Equipe channel when explaining his lack of playing time in the last two matches, played 4 behind. Without a reference match with the Blues, with more than limited experience at the very highest level, Clauss only owes his place to this very particular system. Even if it means becoming useless when it is modified?
Has Tchouaméni earned his place in the eleven?
One was needed: Tchouaméni is THE satisfaction of this gathering. Satisfaction out of 24 players is not a lot and it lets you imagine the extent of the damage. Nevertheless, in the absence of Paul Pogba, Aurélien Tchouaméni showed character in the midfield and he is the only one to have started in the first three matches. Add to that that his entry against Croatia (0-1) was good for a blue midfield that did nothing good. Arrived last fall in the France group, the new Real Madrid player has made his mark in it, and even in the eleven. Given N’Golo Kanté’s recurring glitches, Tchouaméni is now more than a luxury joker.
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