France's Chance in the World Cup
Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, injuries are plaguing several teams, especially in recent weeks as the demanding schedule begins to weigh.
France puts faith in Kylian Mbappé to drive their injury-riddled team. The defending champions have suffered more than other teams who made the tournament, as some of their most prominent players have either been completely excluded from the tournament or are dealing with major injuries. These include superstar midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, as well as Ballon d’Or winner, striker Karim Benzema. The most recent French player to be excluded from the tournament was Lucas Hernandez, defender for Bayern Munich. Hernandez played until the 13th minute against Australia in France’s World Cup opener due to the rupturing of his ACL. Presnel Kimoembe of Paris Saint-Germain has been ruled out after being unable to recover from a recurring injury, adding another loss to France’s team after their arrival in Qatar. Only a few days after Kimpembe’s injury, midfielder for RB Leipzig, Christopher Nkunku suffered a knee injury amid practice. With 17 goals in 23 appearances for his club, the 25 year old was expected to be a crucial player for Les Bleus. Despite all their injuries, France has played a solid World Cup squad.
It was argued that Benzema would be the hardest position to occupy in terms of replacements. With one game remaining, France managed to advance to the knockout round with the help of Antoine Griezmann. Griezmann has played as an offensive midfielder rather than a pure striker, successfully connecting forwards Ousmane Demebele, Olivier Giroud, and Kylian Mbappe with midfielders Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni.
According to Petrot, 2022, center back Raphael Varane said, ”He covers a lot of space, he has the ability to defend and to make others play.” He argues,”It’s the Antoine we know, the Antoine who is in form,” after a score of six and conceding only two having won 2-1 against Denmark on Saturday. With his 26th assist for his country, Griezmann set up Mbappe for the game winning goal in the 86th minute. Griezmann primarily played deep, but also frequently played flanks or close to Giroud. France has adjusted to these injuries and proven their potential. Although the defending champs still have a long way to go, they are a good bet and viewers should look forward to watching them develop in the tournament.
France’s Didier Deschamps benches Mbappé and Griezmann for their final group stage match against Tunisia today. Les Bleus had already clinched a spot in the round of 16 having beaten Australia and Denmark. France solely needs to score a goal to secure the first spot in their group. In the same light, Deschamp denies the rumor that Karim Benzema may return in the knockout stage, as he was ruled out for three weeks and there was no replacement called up. Regardless, teams should take France very seriously, specifically as they prepare for Lewandoski’s Poland.