French team: the latest trends in Didier Deschamps’ list

You still have to be patient, but only for a few hours. It is at 8 p.m. that Didier Deschamps will announce his list for the Euro in Germany (June 14-July 14). Initially reluctant to take more than 23 players as UEFA allows him, the coach should ultimately take advantage of this possibility of this expanded list. The depth of the bench will only be reinforced, but the management of men will also be more difficult. DD highlighted this after the failure of the last Euro… with 26 players.

This enlargement will mainly be used for uncertain elements; firstly Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni. The first has suffered from a stress fracture in his foot since the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich. After initial doubts about his participation in the Euro, the midfielder could actually be called up for the C1 final against the BvB on June 1. However, no risks will be taken in order to promote selection.

What about the injured?

Coman has also started a time trial race since his adductor injury on April 13. Returning to training ten days ago, the Munich player is rather on the right trend, like Mike Maignan, also affected in the adductor. Rest assured, the coach has until June 7 to submit his final list to UEFA and can even make a change until the day before the first match against Austria (June 17). The injured still have a month to recover, insufficient time for Lucas Hernandez, who suffered a knee injury for several months.

The Parisian is for the moment the only official package among the Blues. To replace him, Ferland Mendy holds the rope (in front of Lucas Digne) who is playing the Champions League final with Real Madrid. It is also in the defensive sector that there is the most uncertainty. The forms of Jonathan Clauss, Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konaté, Benjamin Pavard, William Saliba and Theo Hernandez worry the staff. Their last outings both at club and national level have not really been satisfactory even if they will all be on the list.

Guendouzi or Veretout, Diaby or Barcola

The trio of goalkeepers (Maignan, Samba and Areola) will not move either, especially after the injury to Chevalier, the main potential spoilsport of this hierarchy. For the midfielders, we should find the usual Camavinga, Fofana, Rabiot and Griezmann, author of a nice hat-trick yesterday with Atlético de Madrid. Despite his decline in performance in 2024, Zaire-Emery will be there, while Guendouzi or Veretout will compete for last place, depending on the physical state of Tchouaméni. A package from Madrid would benefit them both.

It is perhaps in the offensive sector that the unknown is greatest. Bradley Barcola’s very good second half of the season has reshuffled the cards. Again decisive yesterday against Nice with PSG, after having missed out in the double confrontation against BvB, the winger has gained momentum in the mind of the coach. He will be fighting with Moussa Diaby, who was preferred to him at the last rally. That doesn’t make it an end in itself, and a possible absence of Coman will solve the problem. For the rest, captain Mbappé will be accompanied by his friends Dembélé, Thuram and Kolo Muani, in addition to the top scorer in the history of the Blues, Olivier Giroud.