Paris (AFP)

The French handball team welcomes Serbia Friday in Metz and Denmark, reigning world champion, Sunday in Bercy, one week before the start of Euro-2020, qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Blues' objective for the second stage of this Golden League: to refine the details before facing Portugal, January 10, Norway, finalist of the last World Cup, two days later, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 14, in Trondheim in Norway in their group of the European Championship (January 9-26) which also takes place in Austria and Sweden.

"The goal is to feel completely ready at the end of these two matches and to fill up on confidence," said the Blues' right-back Adrien Dipanda.

"We know exactly how Serbia and Denmark play. It will be good to face the world champions to see where we are," added captain Cédric Sorhaindo.

The problem with international competitions in January is "the lack of time" to work on combinations and other tactical schemes, regrets for his part the coach Didier Dinart.

"Like every time, we are trying to adapt. This year, we have reduced the side + physical preparation + and we have added more handball. But the loads remain heavy: we sometimes train twice a day, which the players only do during the summer preparation with their club ", he specifies.

The French have planned to test themselves tactically on two defense systems, a flat (0-6) and a "hybrid" (Dinart) in 1-5, against the Serbs of Nemanja Ilic and the Danes of Parisian Mikkel Hansen.

- The European champion in Tokyo -

Third in World Cup-2019, the Blues begin a busy 2020 season, which could lead them to Japan this summer for the Olympic Games (July 25-August 8).

The title to the Euro (it would be their first since the World Cup-2017) or a lost final against the Danes, already qualified as world champions, would send them directly to Tokyo. Otherwise, you will have to go through a TQO (Olympic qualifying tournament) in April at Paris-Bercy.

No decision has yet been made regarding the presence of pivot Luka Karabatic, injured in his right hand in early December and still recovering: "I'm not a doctor. If he's ready, he can be part of the group, knowing everything just as he will not have done the preparation with us ", said the French technician.

Dinart will also have to do without Kentin Mahé, recently operated on the left knee, unavailable "four to six months".

The replacement goalkeeper position behind Parisian Vincent Gérard is played between Yann Genty (Chambéry) and Wesley Pardin (Aix). The two goalkeepers will have playing time against Serbia and Denmark before a final decision is expected early next week.

The program:

Friday in Metz

(8:45 p.m.) France - Serbia

Sunday in Paris

(5:00 p.m.) France - Denmark

© 2020 AFP