World Cup: Varane and Giroud named in France squad for Qatar 2022

PARIS – France coach Didier Deschamps included Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane in his World Cup squad on Wednesday despite the defender’s recent injury problems, while in-form AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud was also called up.

Deschamps selected 25 of a possible 26 players for the tournament in Qatar, where France will attempt to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.

Eleven members of the 2018 title-winning squad return, including captain Hugo Lloris and reserve goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, along with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

Ballon d’Or 2022 winner Karim Benzema, who has missed a series of games for Real Madrid this season because of injury, is set for his first World Cup appearance since 2014.

Benzema was frozen out of the France team for 5½ years due to his role in a blackmail scandal involving a sex tape and his international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

He was convicted for his role in that affair in 2021 but, by then, he had returned to the France side, playing at Euro 2020. He was also in the team that won the Uefa Nations League.

The 36-year-old Giroud is two goals away from equalling Thierry Henry’s national record of 51 goals. He played every game at the World Cup in Russia, but did not score.

Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Presnel Kimpembe was picked despite thigh and Achilles problems that have limited him to five appearances since the start of September.

Varane will have gone a month without playing by the time Les Bleus meet Australia in their opening game of the World Cup on Nov 22.

“The two cases are different,” Deschamps told TF1. “Kimpembe has had a little worry, but he’ll be available for his club for the last league match on Sunday. Varane has a longer-term injury, but he too could be available against Australia if everything goes well.”

Deschamps has plenty of cover in central defence, and it is the midfield that is the major worry for the 54-year-old, with his first-choice pairing of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante ruled out.

Real’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot of Juventus are viewed as probable starters, supported by AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana, Real’s Eduardo Camavinga and the Marseille duo Jordan Veretout and Matteo Guendouzi.

Benzema’s former Real teammate Gareth Bale, who is having fitness issues, will be leading the Wales team in Qatar, after manager Rob Page announced the country’s first World Cup squad in 64 years on Wednesday.

Swansea City midfielder Joe Allen was also called up despite also having fitness concerns.

Bale, Wales’ all-time top scorer with 40 goals in 108 internationals, came off the bench to score a dramatic late equaliser as Los Angeles FC went on to win the MLS Cup last Saturday.

But his time on the field since moving to the United States in June has been limited by injuries.

“He is not 100 per cent at the moment,” said Page.

“Has he played as many minutes as we’d like? Probably not. But that doesn’t worry me. He’s proved time and time again when he puts the Welsh jersey on, irrespective of how many minutes he’s played at domestic level, he’s always produced.

“On big occasions he’ll always turn up, thrive, and enjoy it. No question about that. He’ll have an effect on the game straight away and when opposing managers see his name on the team sheet, they’ll know.”

Page has also given Allen, who has not played since injuring a hamstring in September, the chance to prove his fitness ahead of the tournament.

“He’s massive for how I play and the success we’ve had,” the Wales manager added.

Wales are in Group B along with England, Iran and the United States, who also revealed their squad on Wednesday.

A surprise omission from the American contingent is Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen, as coach Gregg Berhalter opted for Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Matt Turner, Luton Town’s Ethan Horvath and New York City’s Sean Johnson.

Steffen, who moved to Middlesbrough on loan this season in order to secure more playing time ahead of the World Cup, had long been regarded as Berhalter’s first-choice goalkeeper when available.

“I think in some of the cases it’s more about what we have than what we don’t have,” Berhalter replied when asked about Steffen’s omission.

“With the three goalkeepers we have on the roster, we feel great. We saw a lot of progress with Matt Turner in this last six months, we know Ethan Horvath has been competing at a good level with Luton in the Championship and Sean Johnson has been a mainstay with this group since day one. So we’re comfortable with that.”

Berhalter also hinted at who his No. 1 pick could be in Qatar.

“We’re going to determine that when we get into camp, but I would say the lean is towards Matt being the number one,” he said. REUTERS, AFP, XINHUA

FRANCE FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Rennes), Alphonse Areola (West Ham United)

Defenders: Lucas Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano (all Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Raphael Varane (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga (both Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (AS Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi, Jordan Veretout (both Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus)

Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real), Kingsley Coman (Bayern), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud ( Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

WALES’ FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Sheffield United)

Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham), Chris Mephan (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (Wimbledon), Neco Williams (Nottingham), Connor Roberts (Burnley)

Midfielders: Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town), Joe Allen (Swansea), Matthew Smith (Milton Keynes Dons), Dylan Levitt (Dundee United), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Jonny Williams (Swindon Town), Aaron Ramsey (Nice), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City)

Forwards: Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds United)

UNITED STATES’ FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Matt Turner (Arsenal), Sean Johnson (New York City)

Defenders: Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson (both Fulham), Sergino Dest (AC Milan), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore (Nashville), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams (Leeds United), Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)

Forwards: Jesus Ferreira (Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Norwich), Timothy Weah (Lille), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)