Will France fail in Qatar without Pogba and Kante?

In a fewer days' time, connected Nov. 9, during the 8 p.m. unrecorded quality bulletin connected TF1, France's biggest TV channel, Didier Deschamps volition denote his 26-man squad for the World Cup. The France caput manager is meticulous erstwhile it comes to gathering a squad, ever considering the operation of his group, the premix of egos, the property dynamics and the equilibrium of skills. But his task has been made much hard this clip astir by the players helium keeps losing to injuries.

Paul Pogba is the latest France prima to person withdrawn from the World Cup aft suffering different occupation successful his recovery from a genu injury. His chap midfielder N'Golo Kanté preceded him, ruled out by a recurring hamstring issue. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan is simply a immense uncertainty excessively fixed nagging calf issues, portion it's inactive not definite defender Raphael Varane volition beryllium acceptable successful clip after limping off during Man United's 1-1 gully with Chelsea connected Oct. 22. There are question marks implicit the fittingness of defenders Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe, portion seasoned guardant Karim Benzema has not been 100% for a portion either, missing Real Madrid's past 3 games.

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It is simply a large headache for Deschamps and the nonaccomplishment of Pogba and Kante successful peculiar is simply a immense blow. Even if they haven't been astatine their champion for months, and adjacent if they are not the aforesaid players than they were 4 years agone erstwhile they led this squad to World Cup glory successful Russia, not having them successful Qatar is massive.

Within his preferred 3-4-1-2 formation, Deschamps volition person to regenerate Pogba's leadership, swag and quality some connected and disconnected the pitch. He volition person to regenerate Kanté's activity, unselfish effort and his positional intelligence. The French person depth, of course: Aurélien Tchouaméni was ever seen arsenic the heir to Pogba and Kanté, but his clip has possibly arrived earlier than we anticipated. At 22, helium volition present person a immense relation to play.

What Tchouameni is showing with Real Madrid truthful acold this play is precise encouraging and helium has taken his crippled to the adjacent level, gaining tactical knowledge, presence, acquisition and confidence. But is helium acceptable to commencement and prima astatine a World Cup? It mightiness beryllium a spot early, but you would not enactment it past him to person an astonishing tourney fixed his abundant talent.

Next to him successful that midfield should beryllium Adrien Rabiot. Deschamps has ever liked him. They person had their ups and downs, similar erstwhile the Paris-born and bred midfielder refused to beryllium connected the reserve list earlier the 2018 World Cup -- which Deschamps called a monolithic mistake" -- but the France brag appreciates his enactment and his intelligence, arsenic good arsenic the information that helium is left-footed. Rabiot's adjacent performing good present astatine Juventus and has been 1 of their champion players truthful acold this play aft his determination to Manchester United fell done successful the summer.

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At 27, helium besides has bully experience. With Tchouaméni and Rabiot, Deschamps believes that the mediate of the transportation volition beryllium solid, efficient, proactive and afloat of energy. If helium did change his tactical enactment and revert to a 4-3-3, for example, oregon adjacent a 3-5-2, past that 3rd midfielder is harder to fig out. Of each the options -- Matteo Guendouzi, Youssouf Fofana, Boubacar Kamara, Jordan Veretout, Eduardo Camavinga, Khephren Thuram -- not 1 is up of the others oregon a wide favourite for Deschamps. Fofana made a bully content connected his debut backmost successful September. Deschamps likes Guendouzi. Kamara is conscionable backmost from injury, and Camavinga has not been playing good truthful acold with Real Madrid.

Regardless of who helium chooses, Deschamps knows that 2018 is decidedly past past now. Thirteen players from that 23-man squad volition not beryllium successful Qatar -- Steve Mandanda, Samuel Umtiti, Adil Rami, Djibril Sidibé, Benjamin Mendy, Pogba, Kanté, Blaise Matuidi, Steven Nzonzi, Thomas Lemar, Nabil Fekir, Florian Thauvin are each retired oregon wounded -- portion Varane oregon Hernandez could beryllium No. 14 and 15 by the clip the squad is announced. This is simply a monolithic turnover. Deschamps had not planned for it to beryllium truthful large and portion immoderate of those absences person been forced connected him, the signifier of others has dropped importantly and a fewer aren't adjacent progressive players anymore.

Of course, Deschamps' les Bleus squad that does question to Doha connected Nov. 16 volition cognize each astir what made France 2018 truthful successful, arsenic returning veterans similar Hugo Lloris volition transmit what they learned successful Russia. What Deschamps wants to debar is what France experienced successful 2002 aft 1998, and what Italy (2006 aft 2010), Spain (2010 aft 2014) and Germany (2014 aft 2018) went done successful caller years: the World Cup holders suffering the ignominy of being knocked retired successful the radical stages.

To debar specified an embarrassment, Deschamps volition evidently trust connected his 2 superstars, Kylian Mbappe and Benzema. It has to beryllium their World Cup if France privation to clasp their trophy, which Brazil was the past state to do... backmost successful 1962! Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d'Or victor has had to hold 8 years to play again successful this tourney aft his exile from the team, and he's acceptable to marque his mark. In his quest to beryllium the champion of the champion and to constitute past each the time, Mbappé has the aforesaid ambition. Winning a 2nd World Cup astatine specified a young property would beryllium thing else.

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It has, of course, been noted by the 2 forwards that the last this twelvemonth is connected Dec. 18, a time earlier Benzema's 35th day and 2 days earlier Mbappé's 24th birthday. What a contiguous winning the full happening would be!

Finally, Deschamps volition request to usage each ounce of accomplishment to marque definite this is simply a palmy 4 weeks: successful particular, his man-management. He volition usage adversity and each the negativity and problems astir the squad to truly unite his radical of players, to get them adjacent much unneurotic and fired up. Pogba has already texted immoderate of his teammates to archer them to bring the Jules Rimet trophy backmost to Paris again for him, for N'Golo and for the others who volition miss the tournament. Time volition archer if they'll get it done.