Two months after the failure of the Euro, Didier Deschamps finds his Blues on Monday at Clairefontaine for the pursuit of qualifications for the World-2022, without Olivier Giroud whom he has not retained and with Kylian Mbappé, whose future oscillates between Paris and Madrid.
The twenty-three players summoned for the start of the school year are expected at the famous Château des Yvelines, the home of the world champions, from 1 p.m. before a first training session at the end of the afternoon.
Some will come with their eyes closed, like captain Hugo Lloris, leader Antoine Griezmann and striker Karim Benzema, well reinstated after his surprise return before the Euro.
But not the gang of the four new ones: Theo Hernandez, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jordan Veretout and Moussa Diaby.
The coach, in place since 2012, had never opened the doors of the France team so much after a great competition.
He did it as much by constraint (O. Dembélé, Thuram, Rabiot, L. Hernandez, Pavard injured or in recovery) as by choice, eager to breathe life into a group which lacked it this summer.
“
These are players that we have been following for several months or years.
If I choose them, it's because I think the potential is there.
They are used to the high level, I am not doing this to make something new,
”Deschamps explained Thursday.
Kanté and Upamecano affected
However, the promotion of some necessarily leads to the relegation of others.
Wissam Ben Yedder, Moussa Sissoko and Clément Lenglet, present at the Euro, paid the price as, above all, Giroud, the great absent from this back-to-school list who consoled himself on Sunday by scoring a double with the AC Milan.
Will they still be 23 at the end of the day?
The European weekend revealed some physical glitches and the medical staff will have a particular eye on the condition of Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, released as a precaution after a half-time on Saturday for "
problems
" at the rear of 'a thigh according to his trainer.
N'Golo Kanté, for his part affected to an ankle with Chelsea, will also be diagnosed when arriving in the Yvelines and the hypothesis of withdrawal of one of these players could force the coach to call for reinforcement before leaving for Strasbourg, Tuesday on the eve of the first match against Bosnia.
To read also Blue: Didier Deschamps on the transfer of Mbappé: "I can not answer in his place"
But the news of this beginning of the gathering remains crushed by the future of Kylian Mbappé.
Double scorer on Sunday evening in Reims with Paris SG (2-0), joie de vivre displayed and a smile on his face, the Bondynois did not let any sign of discomfort or intention to leave filter through, but the Real Madrid's interest intensifies, before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night at midnight.
"
Be conciliatory
" with the transfer window
If the negotiations tilt in favor of a departure, the young world champion will have to respond to requests from his room in Clairefontaine.
The Château is certainly equipped to organize any last-minute medical visits, but this may prove to be more complicated on Tuesday, with the trip to Strasbourg.
"
Ideal?
Obviously no, but I'm not going to fight.
Kylian, like others, can be in a situation where they can change clubs, I will make sure to be conciliatory, their future is at
stake, ”Deschamps acknowledged Thursday, without daring to give the slightest advice or advice. intention of the player.
The hottest file of this end of the transfer window will accompany the Tricolores until their first meeting, Wednesday evening in a sold-out Meinau stadium (8:45 p.m.), and will almost forget that the Blues have a lot to be forgiven, after the elimination in the eighths of the Euro against Switzerland (3-3, 5-4 tab).
The coach has already warned that "
the most important thing is what awaits us
": this requires a smooth comeback, against Bosnia first, then in Ukraine on Saturday (8.45 p.m.) and against Finland on Tuesday, September 7 ( 8:45 p.m.).
At the top of its qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup, France would take a very big step towards Qatar by signing three successes in seven days.
