Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how France could line up for Friday’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Portugal.
France manager Didier Deschamps will have to cope without the banned Adrien Rabiot for Friday’s mouthwatering Euro 2024 quarter-final against Portugal at the Volskparkstadion in Hamburg.
The midfielder, who is now a free agent following the expiry of his contract with Juventus, picked up his second booking of the tournament in the 1-0 last-16 win over Belgium and must take his place on the naughty step.
Luckily for Deschamps, whose only absentee might be Kingsley Coman after the Bayern Munich winger temporarily left the camp for the birth of his child, he is hardly bereft of options to deputise for Rabiot, who was one of four central midfielders to start in the last 16.
Rather than going for a 4-3-1-2 system, Deschamps could very well revert to a 4-2-3-1 due to Rabiot’s ban, allowing Ousmane Dembele – dropped for the last 16 – to take his compatriot’s place.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger will no doubt form part of the supporting cast alongside Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, but they may be aiding Randal Kolo Muani – whose shot deflected off of Jan Vertonghen for France’s last-16 winner – instead of Marcus Thuram, who made way for Kolo Muani just after the hour in Dusseldorf.
N’Golo Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni are midfield mainstays, while William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano – who both nullified Romelu Lukaku in the win over Belgium – hold the same status at the back.
Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez also received numerous plaudits for their last-16 displays and will reprise their roles in front of Mike Maignan, who is yet to concede from open play at the Euros.
France possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Kolo Muani
> Click here to see how Portugal could line up for this clash
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