Euro 2024: Didier Deschamps’ France among favourites but must overcome injuries, poor form
- Coach will need to get creative with his defence, but can rely on their pedigree, Kylian Mbappé, and ever-reliable N’Golo Kante
France are among the favourites to win Euro 2024 but their track record in the competition, a series of injuries and some players’ poor form mean Les Bleus will head into the competition without any certainties.
The World Cup runners-up have a comfortable draw in Group D with the Netherlands, Poland and Austria. However, coach Didier Deschamps will need to get creative with his defence in the absence of Lucas Hernandez, who sustained a serious knee injury and has been ruled out of the tournament.
With Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate, who were both brilliant at the 2022 World Cup, going through a rough patch and having lost their place in their respective clubs’ starting line-ups, the team’s task is not an easy one.
To make matters worse, goalkeeper Mike Maignan has been struggling with injuries this season and his recent history offers few guarantees that he will be able to maintain his fitness throughout.
France’s savoir faire on the big stage, however, is second to none, and they showed it at the World Cup by reaching the final despite entering the tournament on the back of disappointing performances.
But in 12 years in charge, Deschamps has not won the European championship, with France’s best result under his tenure being a runners-up spot in 2016 on home soil.