Deschamps’ hopes of resting Mbappe:
We knew beforehand that Kylian Mbappe wouldn’t start, given he was nursing a minor knock. However, the hope was among French fans that he would be able to remain on the bench for the duration of the game. Best-laid plans and all that… Mbappe had to be summoned into action after Tunisia sensationally took the lead. He will still likely benefit from having an hour’s rest, but the sight of France’s best player having to be thrown into the fray did not reflect well on the squad’s strength in depth.
France’s left-back options:
The tournament-ending injury suffered by Lucas Hernandez in the first half of France’s opener against Australia really was a disaster for Deschamps. His decision to bring only one specialist left-back – Lucas’ brother, Theo – was queried as soon as the squad was announced. And it could yet prove incredibly costly. Theo Hernandez has been exceptional so far, at least from an offensive perspective (no player has created more chances), but as this game so emphatically underlined, Les Bleus are now one injury away from having to once again play Eduardo Camavinga at left-back. Valiantly as he played here, making umpteen tackles and clearances, the Real Madrid youngster was clearly targeted by the Tunisians. A makeshift left-back is a weakness that would be brutally exposed by even stronger sides later in the competition.
Raphael Varane:
There was no talk before the game of William Saliba carrying an injury, which made his exclusion all the more puzzling. However, the feeling was that Deschamps wanted to give Varane more game time after his recent return to full fitness, and he certainly looked like he needed it given the cumbersome way in which he tried to deal with Khazri. His withdrawal midway through the second half felt like an act of mercy and it would now be a massive surprise if Saliba, who came on his place, has not moved ahead of him in France’s central defensive pecking order.
