France coach Didier Deschamps will announce the Les Blues squad for the 2022 World Cup on French national TV at 20:00 CET on Wednesday.
The players will gather at the national team’s training ground in Clairefontaine on November 14 ahead of the tournament that will take place in Qatar.
Both N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba will miss out through injuries, with Deschamps struggling to put together a list, as certain players are injury doubts.
It is believed that 19 players have secured a spot in the 26-man squad. The list will include goalkeepers Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur) and Alphonse Areola (West Ham), as well as defenders Jonathan Clauss (Marseille), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich) and Theo Hernandez (AC Milan).
Meanwhile, midfielders Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurelien Tchoumeni (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco) and Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille) appear to have secured a spot each along with forwards Kylian Mbappe (Pairs Saint-Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico), Kingsley Coman (Bayern), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) and Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig).
Mendy and Digne competing for place in defence
Deschamps is following the progress of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who has recovered from a muscle injury but has not played since September 22. In the event Maignan does not make it, his place would be taken by Rennes ‘keeper Steve Mandanda.
Meanwhile, there are problems in defence too, as Raphael Varane picked up an injury 17 days ago and has yet to fully recover, while Presnel Kimpembe is expected to return from injury this weekend.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile are Deschamps‘ alternatives for the defence.
As for the left-back position, Theo has secured a spot in the squad list and Deschamps will decide whether he will call up Real Madrid‘s Ferland Mendy or Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne as a backup option.
Camavinga could make it
Injuries have dealt a huge blow to France, as key midfielders Kante and Pogba will miss out. Fofana, Rabiot and Tchouameni have guaranteed spots in the list, with Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga being the favorite to make it ahead of players such as Tanguy Ndombele (Napoli), Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa) or Jordan Veretout (Marseille).
Benzema will be ready
If there is someone who is looking forward to this squad announcement, it is Karim Benzema, for all that he has suffered since he was left out of the national team in 2015 to return six years later for the European Championship in 2021.
The Real Madrid striker needed no more than a year and a half to establish himself as the leader of perhaps the best attack of the upcoming World Cup. Karim, who will play in his second World Cup after 2014, has struggled with injuries lately, but he is expected to be in shape for the tournament.
Mbappe, Coman, Nkunku, Giroud, Griezmann and Dembele are the rest of the forwards who are expected to be called up by Deschamps.
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