According to L’Équipe’s Loïc Tanzi Raphaël Varane is set to start on the bench for France against Australia in Les Bleus’ opening match, which means that Ibrahima Konaté is likely to start alongside Dayot Upamecano – as per Didier Deschamps’ defensive set-up in training in preparation for the match. The centre-back did not take part in the tactical work with the first-choice players on Monday evening at the Jassim bin Hamad stadium in Doha, where Les Bleus are training.
Didier Deschamps and his staff have decided that the risk was too great in starting the Manchester United centre-back, following several weeks of recovery after a thigh injury suffered on 23rd October. The centre-back pairing has been a defensive conundrum for the France boss, but it looks like he will line up with the Liverpool and Bayern Munich defenders against the Socceroos.
L’Équipe’s predicted line-up for the Australia game is as follows:
H. Lloris – Pavard, I. Konaté, Upamecano, L. Hernandez – Tchouaméni, Rabiot – O. Dembélé, Griezmann, Mbappé – Giroud.
GFFN | George Boxall
