WORLD CUP 2022 – FRANCE – AUSTRALIA – Three rookies, three reasons to be worried?

Four out of eleven. The France team will begin the defense of its world title with almost a third of the holders who were not there in Russia. Blame it on the injury epidemic. It was necessary to find replacements for N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba in a disaster area. The very probable absence of Raphaël Varane and the withdrawal of Presnel Kimpembe have redesigned a central hinge which will start the competition with nine cumulative selections.

If, among the four newcomers, Adrien Rabiot has already played in a Euro in selection, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konaté will discover the atmosphere of major international competitions this Tuesday in Doha. This facelift imposed by circumstances on Didier Deschamps exposes the French team to obvious risks even if the trio does not seem to approach the biggest meeting of their career with the same confidence. “There is no apprehension, we have done everything to ensure that the whole group is at its bestswore Deschamps on Monday. There is nothing to be anxious about.“Not so sure.

Aurélien Tchouaméni: The framework that is not yet one

• Number of selections: 14

When he played in the final of the League of Nations against Spain from the top of his three selections last fall, we quickly understood that Aurélien Tchouaméni would have no problem adapting to the France team. . And apart from a small slump in June, he never really denied this impression. In Bordeaux, Monaco, Madrid or in Blue, Tchouaméni displays a consistency that leaves little doubt about his outfit against the Australians on Tuesday.

Admittedly, he has never known such a peak of emotions but the way he has managed them since his professional debut is quite stunning. “Frankly, this position in the France team, I approach it with enthusiasm and desire, but no pressure“, confided last week the one who will however have the heavy task of making Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté forget in the midfield. Quiet on and off the field, he is a figure in this France team, despite his experience. limited, landmark.

Dayot Upamecano : Le gros point d’interrogation

• Number of selections: 7

The main memories of Upamecano in Blue are painful. Jumble: this card after two minutes during his first selection, this goal by Oyarzabal against Spain when he seemed to have a head start and the nightmare of September in Denmark. More broadly, he came away from his seven caps with an impression of almost as if he was never very far from the breaking point. Rarely has a blue jersey felt so heavy on a player’s shoulders. However, Upamecano is not debated either in Germany or at Bayern, of which he has become the boss of the defense.

His coach at Bayern, Julian Nagelsamnn, campaigned well before Deschamps for the tenure of his protege with the Blues: “This year his development has been world class. They have five or six world-class centre-backs for the World Cup, but no one is as stable as him right now“But club certainties are sometimes fragile in an international context. Even more so in the World Cup. This Tuesday, Upamecano plays the most important match of his career. Managing his emotions, in such a sensitive position which requires calm and composure, will be one of the keys to the Blues match.

Ibrahima Konaté: A double difficulty

• Number of selections: 2

Holder in the World Cup with only two selections on the clock: Konaté will live an extremely rare experience. A second difficulty is added to a specification that is already far from simple: he has only played 111 minutes this season in the Premier League and is coming back from a long unavailability. Deschamps gives him great confidence in view of his career with Liverpool since August and his minimal experience in Blue. That is to say if he believes in his potential.

If we had to be convinced, it should be remembered that Konaté was the best Red in the last Champions League final. At 23, this big guy cut in marble follows a straight path without a hitch. But he has never faced an event of this magnitude with the jersey of the national team. “With Dayot, we played together for a long time, we have automatismssaid Konaté this weekend. We have a strong friendship too, it’s like my brother, we are constantly in contact to talk about things other than football and we have had some strong moments. ” But never at this level. How will they get out of it? The future of the Blues probably depends on it…