France coach cautions over first-round opponents at World Cup
France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged his side are among the favourites for the World Cup but urged his players to concentrate on their opening opponents before thinking about advancing deeper into the tournament.
Deschamps named his 26-man squad on Thursday for next month’s tournament, where they kick off against Senegal and also meet Iraq and Norway in their group.
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“France are first in the FIFA rankings, but are we more favourites than Spain, Portugal, Germany, England, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco?” he asked at a press conference after announcing the squad.
“I know there are expectations. But we'll have some tough opponents in our first three matches. Let's focus on the first one.
“The result is the most important thing; it’s the highest level, there are expectations. The final is a long way off,” Deschamps added.
The France coach sprung only mild surprises in his selection, with an uncapped third-choice goalkeeper and the inclusion of the Crystal Palace pair of defenders Maxence Lacroix and striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
“He was very good in March after (William) Saliba’s injury,” Deschamps said of Lacroix’s debut against Brazil and subsequent outing against Colombia.
“He can play on both the left and right sides of the centre. Having three options in each position is a safety net. With this squad of nine defenders, five midfielders, and nine forwards, we have different profiles, like Mateta, who has been effective with us and has good stats at his club.
“He’s a good, typical centre forward, effective, with two goals in three games with us. Good in the air and a penalty-box striker, who can move around even if he won’t regularly go near the touchline. A different profile and an option that can also be useful,” the coach added about Mateta.
Deschamps said he was used to working with a 23-man squad but took 26 players with him for the friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, which were hosted in Boston and Washington DC in March.
“It brings more security, but also more complications in managing the players. When we have 23, there are already three or four who don't play, so 26 is going to require more attention from my staff. Everyone wants to play, but some won't necessarily play.
“But the competition has changed, with more matches, the temperatures, and the recovery time in between games," he added.
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