Créteil (AFP)

The coach Didier Dinart has postponed the choice of the 16 players who will be on the sheet during the first match of the Euro handball, Friday in Norway, including that, "Cornelian" according to him, of the second goalkeeper.

The Blues will therefore take the plane at 18 for Trondheim, Norway, Wednesday and the last subtraction, of a goalkeeper and a field player, will be made on Thursday, on the eve of the match against Portugal (6:15 pm) .

Two men are in balance to support the N.1 Vincent Gérard, the Chambérien Yann Genty, 38, and the Aixois Wesley Pardin, 30.

The preparatory meetings against Serbia (40-26 victory) and against Denmark (31-30 defeat) did not make it possible to decide because the two contenders were good in the half time they each played. And even better than the usual owner Vincent Gérard, whose place is still guaranteed. "Just because he's had a hit doesn't mean we're going to question everything," said Dinart.

Despite his age, Genty is brand new to the French team. He made his debut this year in qualifying matches for the Euro, in place of Cyril Dumoulin, injured during the 2019 World Cup and then operated on. He immediately convinced by succeeding no less than 26 saves against Lithuania. But in the Championship, it was Pardin, a younger and also larger goalkeeper (1.95 m against 1.85), who stood out this season with 11.2 saves on average.

- Changes allowed during the Euro -

"We have someone (Genty) who has a lot more experience and who has been for years a dominant goalkeeper of the French Championship and another who has crossed a milestone this year in the regularity of his performances", underlines the assistant coach Guillaume Gille.

"Wesley has a large wingspan, he takes up a lot of space, he is very comfortable on the six meters and at the wing. Yann anticipates a lot, he has a very good recovery and he is a bit tricky, very playful" , goalkeeper coach Jean-Luc Kieffer explains, continuing the comparison.

In the field, Aixois Nicolas Claire who seemed to have to leave the group, not having been used at all against Denmark in Bercy, but there too Dinart preferred to give himself more time to decide.

The rules allow several changes during the Euro and it will be more practical to have players "on hand" if necessary. "If we have a physical glitch, it could be more complicated to reinstate a player who has returned to his club," said the coach.

After Portugal, France will face Norway on Sunday in front of their audience in the shock of the first round and then Bosnia and Herzegovina. She will have to finish in the first two to qualify for the main round.

. The group of 18

Goalkeepers: Vincent Gérard (Paris SG), Yann Genty (Chambéry), Wesley Pardin (Aix)

Left wingers: Michaël Guigou (Nîmes), Mathieu Grébille (Montpellier)

Left back: Romain Lagarde (Rhein-Neckar / GER), Élohim Prandi (Nîmes)

Half-centers: Nikola Karabatic (Paris SG), Melvyn Richardson (Montpellier), Nicolas Claire (Aix)

Pivots: Ludovic Fabregas (Barcelona), Cédric Sorhaindo (Barcelona), Nicolas Tournat (Nantes)

Right back: Dika Mem (Barcelona), Nedim Remili (Paris SG), Adrien Dipanda (Saint-Raphaël)

Right wing: Luc Abalo (Paris SG), Valentin Porte (Montpellier)

© 2020 AFP