This Thursday 3rd October 2019, the coach Didier Deschamps has unveiled the list of players for France to face against in Iceland and against Turkey.
A comeback and a remake for Didier Deschamps: the coach of France recalled Steve Mandanda, removed from the last two lists, and must do without Paul Pogba, as in September, for the next matches in Iceland and against Turkey, qualifiers to Euro 2020.
Les 23 joueurs sélectionnés par Didier Deschamps pour les 2 matchs de qualifications à l’EURO 2020 ! 🇫🇷 #FiersdetreBleus
Islande🆚France (vendredi 11/10 à 20h45)
France🆚Turquie (lundi 14/10 à 20h45) pic.twitter.com/3oKlP5bJR6— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) October 3, 2019
“Didier Deschamps” scored the news at the time of the announcement of its October list: Pogba, injured in an ankle since August with his Manchester United club, “will be immobilised for three weeks” and will not be of trip to Reykjavik on October 11th, and also three days later at the Stade de France to face the current joint leader of group H with France, Turkey.
Return of N’Golo Kanté
Already deprived of the Mancunian in September in the victories against Albania and Andorra (4-1 and 3-0), Deschamps will once again compose without the former Turin in midfield. But this time he recovers the other member of his double world champion, N’Golo Kanté, injured for recovery but operational again.
The timely return of the Chelsea player, combined with that of Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham), deprives another world champion of the selection: Steven Nzonzi. The former Romain, transferred to Galatasaray this summer, is left out without much surprise because he had no minutes of play in September.
Steve Mandanda has “experience and experience”
But it is among the goalkeepers that the major upheaval of this autumn list comes into play.
To accompany the inexhaustible captain Hugo Lloris, Deschamps surprised by reminding Mandanda, 34 years old. After having left it aside in June, then in September, for the benefit of Mike Maignan, ten years younger and author of a full 2018-19 season, he discards this time the Lille and recalls the Marseillais, whose the excellent start to the season did not escape him.
“Steve has found a very good level since the beginning of the championship where he is decisive. He has experience and experience with us that are important, “said the boss of les Bleus, insisting that he returned as N.2.
Even diminished, Kylian Mbappé returns
Areola, despite his transfer from Paris to Real Madrid where he occupies the position of N.2 behind Thibaut Courtois, always seems good in front of Maignan in the hierarchy, while Deschamps did not hide in September that the situation could potentially become ” problematic “if the Parisian titi was to become a bench in Spain.
The return of another Parisian, not least, is good news for the coach: Kylian Mbappé, even if it still seems a little diminished by the injury to a thigh that deprived him of the grounds for five games, is logically reminded to animate the attack of the French.
Olivier Giroud: uncertainty
But this is not at the expense of his childhood friend Jonathan Ikoné, with whom he grew up in the Paris region, in Bondy. Lille, scorer in his very first minutes in blue against Albania, then holder and decisive passer against Andorra, seems to have seduced the coach.
Nabil Fekir’s (Betis Sevilla) muscular injury also allowed “DD” not to have to rack his head too much to compose his list of offensive elements, even if Ousmane Dembélé’s injury return could have to think a little more. But in a similar position, the strong impression of Kingsley Coman in September made the presence of the Bavarian indisputable.
He did not ask any questions when he reminded his fetish forward Olivier Giroud. The Chelsea striker had only 18 minutes of club play since the last rally. Long sick in recent days, barred by the young Tammy Abraham, doubt interferes with his future in the short term.
“It’s a situation that is not the best either for him or for us (…) I hope that this situation can evolve,” insisted Deschamps without giving any “warning” but emphasizing the fact that his playing time is “athletically insufficient” and prevents him from being able to “evolve at his best”.
Finally, at the heart of this list without a new head or a big surprise, a return is to highlight, that of the defender Presnel Kimpembe. The Parisian, recovered from an operation in May, notably benefit from the absences of Samuel Umtiti and Aymeric Laporte on injury to interfere, probably as a lining Clement Lenglet.
