|
Domenech gives France players last chance
By Astrid Andersson
| |
|
|
Cup de grace: France coach Raymond Domenech
is ready to wield the axe if players don't perform
/ Photo: telegraph.co.uk
|
Raymond Domenech, the France coach, will use next week's
friendlies against Mali and England to help him finalise his squad for
the European Championships this summer.
Domenech has admitted he has already settled on 20 of the 23 players who
will be boarding the plane to Switzerland in June, leaving just three
places up for grabs. The forthcoming double-header is the last chance
for hopefuls to impress Domenech before he names his squad.
Domenech should not waver too much from the enlarged squad he selected
for last month's matches against DR Congo and Spain today, when he names
his group for next week's games.
Winger Mathieu Valbuena should be called up for the first time after a
series of superb displays for Marseille, and Juventus striker David Trezeguet,
the joint top-scorer in Italy's Serie A this season, will be eyeing a
recall.
He will only return, however, if he is assured by Domenech that he will
feature in the full international against England on Wednesday rather
than the 'A' international against Mali 24 hours earlier.
That is unlikely with strikers Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and Karim
Benzema all higher in the pecking order.
Mathieu Bodmer, the versatile Lyon player who is equally as adept in defence
as he is in midfield, is making a strong case for inclusion on form. He
scored a superb brace in the recent French top-of-the-table clash with
Bordeaux.
Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou is another pushing hard at Domenech's
door. There is strong competition in that department and Portsmouth's
Lassana Diarra and Arsenal duo Abou Diaby and Mathieu Flamini have been
given the nod by the coach in recent squads.
Domenech has given all prospects hope by saying: "If some are not
present this time it doesn't mean they will not be there in May.
"The list of 23 is named in May and until then things are going to
happen."
Henry, meanwhile, says he has no intention of returning to England despite
admitting that his form has been affected by being apart from his daughter.
Much has been made of Henry's struggles since his transfer to the Nou
Camp from Arsenal.
The 30-year-old claimed last week that any dip in performance was because
he was "not happy" at not seeing his two-year-old daughter,
Tea, as often as he would like following his divorce last year.
This news led to reports in the Spanish and British media that Manchester
City were preparing a bid to bring the France star back to the Premier
League. But speaking in Barcelona Henry said a return to England "is
not a possibility".
Instead Henry preferred to concentrate on his future in La Liga.
"Before I was playing with an injury and it wasn't easy," he
said. "I don't know if it was the best thing to do, but I wanted
to play.
"Now I'm playing without pain, but there are always some problems."
He added: "We're in the quarter-final of the Champions League, a
step away from the Copa del Rey final and in a good place in the league,
although it could be better.
"It's certainly nothing to be crying about."
Telegraph.co.uk,
20/03/2008
|
|
