A week before France’s first World Cup game against Australia (Tuesday 22 November at 8pm), Raphaël Varane and Karim Benzema are working hard to be fit in time. Optimism is de rigueur with Didier Deschamps and the Blues, who fly to Doha on Wednesday morning.
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Beware of thermal shock! On the eve of the departure for Qatar, where we expect 32 degrees on Wednesday, it was 22 less, this Tuesday, in Clairefontaine. And the cold rain played a very nasty trick on the French team, who at the end of the morning had to seek refuge inside to take the traditional class photo before the competition.
If the weather was gloomy, the atmosphere in the group was fine, as we saw along the way shooting. Smiles on their faces, jokes flying, especially from the bus… Nothing was missing in the decor.
“Karim knows his body by heart”
Also on the ground, joy and optimism are de rigueur, among other things for Raphaël Varane (29 years old, 87 international matches, 5 goals) and Karim Benzema (34 years old, 97 international matches, 37 goals), who nevertheless begin this event shortly at competition and in questionable form.
Tuesday, November 22, the day the Blues entered the game, will mark exactly one month without a game for the Manchester United northern defender, who injured his hamstring on October 22 against Chelsea. The Real Madrid striker had stopped three days earlier in Elche (October 19) with, since then, the persistent muscle fatigue in the thigh, which is long enough to challenge.
When we discovered Marcus Thuram’s last-minute call-up on Monday morning, we thought for a moment that the arrival of an 8th striker (the famous 26th man) was a precaution made a little more necessary by the state of the thigh of Ballon d’Or. ” No wayrefused Didier Deschamps. It was planned and therefore it is not in relation to Karim or another striker who would have problems. »
” Karim Benzema knows how to handle himself like no other “, assures Grégory Dupont, the former physical trainer of the Blues’ world champions, who worked with him and Zinédine Zidane at Real Madrid from 2019 to 2021.” He is someone who knows his body by heart, knows how to rest it when necessary. “A statement that confirms the thesis of a recovery somehow planned before a World Cup that the striker from the Blues wants to offer in apotheosis.
Varane follows the protocol
For Raphaël Varane, who left the pitch in tears at Stamford Bridge a month ago and thought his World Cup was already over, each passing day brings him a little more back into the game. The green light for his selection after a lot of work at Clairefontaine has been a first happiness.
” He is in his protocolsays Didier Deschamps. He highlighted all his athletic work. He touched the ball. He still has steps to take. He is well, he is in good spirits, he is well. We’re not going to cut corners either, but he’s supposed to be available for the first game. »
For the coach, the goal is for the two players to participate normally in the collective session, Thursday at 18.30 in Doha (16.30 in France). Then we are five days away from the first game against Australia.
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