Even without their injured players, defending World Cup champion France have plenty of attacking power and nothing is going to disrupt them in their opening World Cup game against Australia — not Karim Benzema’s absence, and especially not the ‘One Love’ armband row, captain Hugo Lloris said on Monday.
France start their campaign in Group D on Tuesday, looking to beat the Socceroos just like they did to kick off their 2018 journey in Russia.
They have been hit by a series of injuries, which ruled out key midfielders N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, and most recently Ballon d’Or winner Benzema, who left the squad in the early hours of Sunday after withdrawing with a thigh injury, and centre-back Presnel Kimpembe.
“We still believe in our chances, in our squad. The last-minute withdrawals, especially Karim’s, did not help,” Lloris told a news conference.
“But I want to think that the team will move on.”
Several teams — England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark — had planned to wear the One Love armband against any form of discrimination but, in a joint statement, backed down hours before England’s opening game against Iran on Monday.
According to Fifa rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images, and during Fifa Final Competitions, the captain of each team “must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA”.
Australia players warm up during training. Getty Images
“I want to say that Fifa organises the competition and it sets a frame, rules. Us players are here to play football and represent our country on a sporting level,” Lloris said.
The defending champions have exited the World Cup at the end of the group phase in four of the last five editions. But with the players that he has at his command, France coach Didier Deschamps would feel confident.
Most teams would love to have either Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann or Olivier Giroud in their forward line, let alone all three. They have 119 international goals between them, plus an abundance of speed, craft, experience and skill.
But France does not have the same assurances in midfield.
Deschamps, who is missing his dynamic 2018 engine room duo of Pogba and Kante, faces Australia with a revamped midfield where the most experienced player is Adrien Rabiot — Pogba’s teammate at Italian club Juventus — with 29 appearances.
The 27-year-old Rabiot finally feels ready to emerge as France’s new midfield leader. “I feel that I’m able to help others, to lead by example. I like being in this position,” he said.
Now Rabiot will likely line up on the left of a midfield three at Al Janoub Stadium with 22-year-old Aurelien Tchouameni in the center, and either Eduardo Camavainga or 23-year-old Matteo Guendouzi on the right.
France str ug gled to beat Australia 2-1 when the teams met in their World Cup opener four years ago, and that was with a full-strength midfield.
Australia captain Mat Ryan said as much. Ryan, who is playing at his third World Cup, was in goal in that 2-1 loss, a tight match decided by a deflected Paul Pogba shot nine minutes from time.
“Something that I learned (is) you’ve got to have the right amount of respect for the opposition, but don’t be in awe of them or be overwhelmed too much,” he recalled at a news conference.
