Paul Pogba is not here but Adrien Rabiot is drawing on the World Cup-winning midfielder’s experience as defending champions France attempt an encore and go where no team has since 1962.
“I (would) see Pogba every day [at Juventus] and we have been speaking about it. He has been very encouraging and following the progress,” said the France midfielder here on Friday.
Pogba is not the only champion missing due to injury from the 2022 squad. N’Golo Kante too is out and Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema are here but not fit. “They’re not training to respect their health issues. They really want to play. Can’t tell you if they will be able to play but I can tell you they’re doing well,” said Rabiot, 27. “I think Karim will play when he feels ready.”
Rabiot refused to be part of a World Cup squad last time because he didn’t want be a reserve player. “A big disappointment to not get selected and so have so worked hard for this. As for revenge, I’m grateful to be here and consider myself lucky that it’s my time to play the World Cup. I’m a footballer and competitor and happy to be here. My image will change if competition goes well,” he said.
“It’s my first World Cup so there is a certain amount of pressure but it’s not overbearing. The coach (Dider Deschamps) has found the right words to describe me as a balanced player.”
Rabiot said the World Cup was an “opportunity” to “correct” the early elimination at the European championships last year when France fell to Switzerland on penalties in the round of 16. To successfully defend a World Cup title, Rabiot said the team needed to stay united and shut out what is happening on the outside. “We have to evolve in a serene fashion.”
That won’t be easy given that the squad has hardly got time together, pointed out defender Lucas Hernandez. “It’s true that the preparation time is a lot shorter, only a week, in 2018 we had a month,” he said. But in 2018 we were a team that worked well and I hope we can do the same, he said.
After the World Cup, France also won the Nations League in 2019 but have a slump in form since. Following the early exit in the Euros, they barely survived relegation in the Nations League. “Now all the teams want to win against France. All the teams want to beat us. They have reinvented themselves,” said the 26-year-old Hernandez
That is exactly what is keeping the “locker room very motivated.” Hernandez, who plays for Bayern Munich as left back and in the centre of the defence, also said the squad has a good mix of young and old players; one full of footballers who regularly start at their clubs. “We’re confident in the qualities we have. It’s going to be a real fight. Once you’ve started against Australia, we will know more,” he said.
France are in group D with Australia, Denmark and Tunisia.