France seeks win over Australia to quash doubts

Monaco right back Sidibe has been battling to recover from a knee injury, putting a query over one of the few positions in which France lacks ample depth. Benjamin Pavard, who has played mostly as a centre back for Bundesliga side Stuttgart, is likely to fill the role on his World Cup debut against a Socceroos side that is something of an unknown quantity under new coach Bert van Marwijk.

There is further uncertainty over the make-up of France’s forward line for the Group C encounter at Kazan Arena, with coach Didier Deschamps facing tough choices on his front three. He fielded experienced Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud with the substitutes team in training, suggesting explosive 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele could form a powerful trio with Antoine Griezmann.

Having captained Les Bleus to the 1998 World Cup triumph on home soil, Deschamps knows a thing or two about global success and is blessed with one of the strongest squads among the 32 in Russia. Its sheer depth of talent has made it among the tournament favourites, yet scepticism lingers over the manager’s ability to get the best out of his stars.

Australia will also be desperate for a positive start, given its last two World Cup campaigns in Brazil and South Africa were all but ruined by first-match drubbings.

On paper, it is paupers to France’s footballing royalty, have little firepower up front and its modest defence faces a huge task to fend off its opponents’ raids.

Dutchman Van Marwijk, meanwhile, has had only a handful of games to imprint his game plan on the group’s lowest-ranked side.

Although it thrashed Czech Republic 4-0 in its penultimate warmup before Russia, its scratchy 2-1 win over Hungary in its last start may be a better pointer to its form, the side still grappling with transition from defence to attack. 

Despite all that, the Socceroos has assembled in Kazan with no shortage of bravado. A result against France looks fanciful, but if it is within touch late in the second half, look for Van Marwijk to inject 38-year-old striker Tim Cahill, who is bidding to become only the fourth player ever to score at four World Cups.