Didier Deschamps had a smile on his face Friday after the draw for the group stage of the next World Cup. The Blues have undoubtedly inherited the toughest group with Senegal, Norway and a play-off which will be known next March: Suriname, Bolivia or Iraq. And if the French team is still one of the favorites for this competition, this entry into the competition will not be smooth with these two beautiful pieces that are the Lions of Teranga and the Scandinavian selection led by Erling Haaland.
One of the gestures of the season for Cherki
The 2018 world champions qualified without trembling in their qualifying group with some certainties, including an offensive sector which is enough to make you dizzy: Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola but also Jean-Philippe Mateta, Hugo Ekitike, Maghnes Akliouche and even Rayan Cherki. The latter has only had three selections for Blue but has already made an impression with a sublime entry against Spain in the Nations League last June.
Instinctive, destabilizing, carefree and above all creative: the former Lyonnais brings together many qualities that make him a player apart. His assist with a scarf shot for Phil Foden against Sunderland this weekend in the Premier League went around the world. However, some editorialists and consultants believe that Rayan Cherki is not a priority choice for the French team, with often fallacious arguments such as his supposed irregularity or his incompatibility in a collective.
Didier Deschamps has had some curious decisions and funny oversights during his era, but the hand extended to Rayan Cherki after his first benchmark season last year is no coincidence. At the heart of an offensive armada already well put together by the Blues coach, the 22-year-old offers other possibilities and brings an element of unpredictability which can unlock many situations, especially in closed matches at a World Cup.
Kamara, additional insurance in the middle
If Cherki represents a wise bet on the attacking front, another player would be the perfect profile to refine the midfield. After Euro 2024 and the integration of Michael Olise, Didier Deschamps switched to 4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders who have a lot of work. Manu Koné and Aurélien Tchouaméni start with a head start, followed by veteran N’Golo Kanté who returned to form last November with a convincing match against Ukraine.
In the Premier League, Boubacar Kamara is strolling in this register and has had a superb start to the season for Aston Villa, who have just scored 5 victories to climb to 3e place in the ranking. The player trained at OM plays in a similar system in England where he performs at the heart of a double pivot reminiscent of that of the Blues. Unai Emery gave him the keys to the truck, and he gives it back. Placement, intensity, generosity and intelligence of the game: his match on Saturday during the victory (2-1) against Arsenal is a model of its kind. He suffered a major cruciate ligament injury at the start of 2024, but it is an anomaly to see Boubacar Kamara have only five caps for the France team.
If he has the right to take 27 players for his list, Didier Deschamps has the habit of not opting for the maximum required by Fifa. We know 90% of the players who will be part of the adventure in North America and the final places will be very expensive: Kamara, Cherki and the others will have to work hard until June. For the coach, this luxury headache is not a burden, but indeed a privilege.
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