ANALYSIS Before the World Cup, the head coach will not have access to two of his most important players in the middle position.
Blank page. The French team lost Paul Pogba just two weeks after they said goodbye to N’Golo Kanté. Aware of the fact that he had not participated in either the selection or club matches since March, the Seine-et-Marais had begun what could be described as a rather desperate race against time to try to invite themselves to Qatar. The victory goes to Mother Nature. La Pioche decides to give up after having surgery on his meniscus in September, returning to training just two weeks ago, and getting hit in the thigh in the most recent few days. “In a press release issued on Monday, Paul Pogba’s attorney Rafaela Pimenta stated that despite having surgery, the player will still require rehabilitation. Game over. The Blues now find themselves without the doublet that allowed them to earn their second star in 2018. Pogba is also a leader, a fundamental man for Didier Deschamps, and despite ups and downs in club play, he has never been questioned for a spot on the national team. The title was holding him at the World Cup in 2014, at Euro 2016, in 2018, and at the final European Championship in 2021. Trailer.
“The absence of it results in one less driving force. We have no choice but to move on without him, despite how much we shall miss him “. This is what Deschamps said about Kanté a few days back when he was asked about him. Now that he has said that about Pogba, he can concentrate on finding options to fill out his midfield for the World Cup (November 20-December 18). Pogba’s fight appeared to be lost well before this announcement was made, so the coach probably did not wait for it to rack his brains before making his decision. With the announcement of this package, there is now one less thing to worry about and one more thing that is guaranteed. “It is necessary to first heal the player. After that, an evaluation of the athlete’s physical condition is necessary. And thirdly, there is rivalry for the post,” said still recently “DD” regarding the many wounded in the French ranks and their possible selection. “DD” was referring to the possibility of selection. To add to this, the only thing that can be said with absolute certainty is that I will not choose a player who will not be able to participate in the competition when it first begins. After that, it is determined on an individual basis. Because Paul is behind the others in terms of playing time, my answer is a resounding yes to the request that he be given as many opportunities as possible to do so before the competition.
Read also: Paul Pogba’s World Cup red card was officially forfeited, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
The rest is common knowledge. To what extent will the absence of these two powerful players in the field be compensated for? That is still to be determined. Because even if the French reservoir receives consistent praise—and well-deserved praise—for its depth, the same cannot be said for this particular portion of the play. In any event, we can’t find replacements for lads like N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba. The fate of the globe is the topic of discussion here. Charge to Deschamps to determine.
The Tchouameni Evidence
In this particular instance, one name sticks out as particularly noticeable, and that is that of Aurélien Tchouaméni. The man who was born and raised in Rouen has only 22 years under his belt and has only one goal and 14 career selections to his name. On the other hand, taking into account his absences, the player who once played for Bordeaux and Monaco has started seven of France’s previous nine matches. a lot of the time brilliantly. Mature and sturdy, but not clumsy either, he quickly imposed himself, both in the selection and at Real, if you’ll pardon me for interrupting. “I am not surprised by his swift transition to Real,” swears Paul Mitchell, sporting director of the ASM. He strives to improve himself daily. During the discussions, those were my exact words to Real: “you take a future superstar.” Not just the participant, but also the human being in general. Already vital. There is no question that the native of Bordeaux will be a part of the French group. Even now, we can confidently assert that Didier Deschamps will establish him as soon as he has the opportunity, provided that he does not suffer an injury or be suspended. Who exactly?
It is sufficient to take a look at the most recent starting lineups used by France to comprehend that the squad is trying to find the optimal balance between two extremes. Each time Tchouaméni started, he was paired with a different player (Kanté, Guendouzi, Kamara, and Fofana, respectively). Even though Adrien Rabiot has been starting on the left side of the field more recently, under these circumstances he practically functions as a hauler despite being at the peak of his 27-year career with 29 appearances and two goals. He, too, struggled with physical issues at the beginning of the season, much like Tchouaméni. However, the ex-Parisian player ought to be operational when the time comes, possibly as soon as the next weekend for Juventus’ encounter against Inter Milan. Rabiot is the one that Deschamps will go to if he wants to give more weight to the experience. Youssouf Fofana, who has only two caps, clearly has a lot fewer. However, for him to know Tchouaméni like the back of his hand, he must have spent a significant amount of time playing in the Monaco shirt alongside him. We were able to observe the duo’s successful performance versus Austria (2-0). It is complementing, solid, and intriguing all at the same time. In particular, ever since Fofana, he has been continuing the matches on the Rock.
Check out this related article on the World Cup: after Kanté, it’s Pogba’s turn to forfeit.
Didier Deschamps has had Eduardo Camavinga, who is only 19 years old and has only four caps and one goal to his name, pegged as a potential step back for quite some time, even though he has been promised a tremendous future. There is a talent pool available, that much is certain. The former Rennais player is currently employed at Real. He possesses certain virtues. But in recent weeks, the former Monaco head coach has frequently chosen Boubacar Kamara, who already has three caps for his country, to round out his lineups. Kamara should shortly begin training with Aston Villa, even though we had previously believed he had been forfeited. His old teammates at OM, Jordan Veretout (5 caps) and especially Mattéo Guendouzi (6 caps, 1 goal), are also in the running for a spot in the group. Mattéo Guendouzi has scored once in his six international appearances.
A surprise in Qatar?
In any case, every one of these guys has been considered for the team throughout the past few weeks and months. Although they have a limited amount of experience, they do have some. And what if Deschamps decided to go with an unexpected player, a rookie? Some people enjoy fantasizing about Benjamin André (Lille) being a member of the France national team. Why not Kephren Thuram (Nice) as the given name? There is one thing that can be said with absolute certainty: players such as Moussa Sissoko (Nantes), Tanguy Ndombélé (Naples), and even Corentin Tolisso (Lyon) have been eliminated from the competition. This may be the result of bad form or an injury. It seems like sacrilege to even consider the possibility that world champion Blaise Matuidi, who is now 35 years old and plays for Inter Miami. Having said that, the word is overly forceful. Huge odds, to say the least of it. Didier Deschamps could, last but not least, decide to adjust the formation of the team, much like Christophe Galtier did at Paris Saint-Germain. Elements such as Thomas Lemar (Atlético) and Houssem Aouar (Lyon) might not be able to find a home in a three-man environment, but might they? Tchouaméni will probably play with either Rabiot or Fofana in the middle of the field, as this is the most likely outcome.
The unfortunate news for Deschamps is that the construction site in the midst is not the only one that needs to be resolved. There are still a lot of unknowns a little under three weeks until the beginning of the World Cup. Both Mike Maignan and Raphael Varane have begun a race against time to make a full recovery from their respective injuries. Karim Benzema, Lucas Hernandez, and Jules Koundé will swiftly rejoin play after experiencing hiccups, much like Rabiot and Tchouaméni did previously. This is already the case for Steve Mandanda, Lucas Digne, Theo Hernandez, Kingsley Coman, Hugo Lloris, and Presnel Kimpembe. The situation is not entirely hopeless…