eirebhoy
28/09/2004, 5:03 PM
Olympique Marseille midfielder Benoit Pedretti, who started France’s 2-0 victory over the Faroe Islands earlier this month, will sit out next week’s World Cup clashes with the Republic of Ireland and Cyprus after picking up a knee injury on club duty at the weekend.
The 23-year-old, who has won 17 caps for Les Bleus, was preferred to Chelsea’s Claude Makelele in the engine-room for the meeting with the Faroes in Torshavn three weeks ago.
However, he must undergo an operation to repair cartilage damage on Wednesday, ruling him out for up to five weeks.
The news is a major blow to under-fire France boss Raymond Domenech, who, after losing several established stars after taking over from Jacques Santini after Euro 2004, has now watched the engine-room ripped out of his team.
The summer retirements of Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram robbed him of a wealth of experience, and he will now be without three first choice midfielders for the clashes with Brian Kerr’s Ireland and the subsequent trip to Cyprus.
Arsenal star Patrick Vieira is unavailable for next week’s encounter after being sent off against the Faroes, while Chelsea’s Makelele announced his retirement from international football after being dropped for that game.
With Pedretti, the heir-apparent for a place in the middle sector, also ruled out, it leaves the Group 4 favourites without the three players who have filled the central midfield roles in France’s two qualifiers to date.
"This is annoying because those two matches will be very important," said the Marseilles man. “It is a huge disappointment but I can’t do anything. This injury comes when I feel at my best and I am disappointed.”
Who do they have for the centre now? Dacourt, Dharasoo...? Rothen is supposedly rated doubtful too.
The 23-year-old, who has won 17 caps for Les Bleus, was preferred to Chelsea’s Claude Makelele in the engine-room for the meeting with the Faroes in Torshavn three weeks ago.
However, he must undergo an operation to repair cartilage damage on Wednesday, ruling him out for up to five weeks.
The news is a major blow to under-fire France boss Raymond Domenech, who, after losing several established stars after taking over from Jacques Santini after Euro 2004, has now watched the engine-room ripped out of his team.
The summer retirements of Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram robbed him of a wealth of experience, and he will now be without three first choice midfielders for the clashes with Brian Kerr’s Ireland and the subsequent trip to Cyprus.
Arsenal star Patrick Vieira is unavailable for next week’s encounter after being sent off against the Faroes, while Chelsea’s Makelele announced his retirement from international football after being dropped for that game.
With Pedretti, the heir-apparent for a place in the middle sector, also ruled out, it leaves the Group 4 favourites without the three players who have filled the central midfield roles in France’s two qualifiers to date.
"This is annoying because those two matches will be very important," said the Marseilles man. “It is a huge disappointment but I can’t do anything. This injury comes when I feel at my best and I am disappointed.”
Who do they have for the centre now? Dacourt, Dharasoo...? Rothen is supposedly rated doubtful too.