Cairo (AFP)

Left-back Jean-Jacques Acquevillo and center-half Nicolas Claire replace injured Timothey N'Guessan and Luka Karabatic for the semi-final of the Handball World Cup on Friday against Sweden, said the Blues management to a time of the match in Cairo.

Claire (Aix-en-Provence), considered the third center-half behind Kentin Mahé and Melvyn Richardson, will play her first match in Egypt.

Until now, he was among the 4 substitutes in the group of 20 present on site.

Acquevillo (Nîmes) makes his return among the 16 players listed on the scoresheet after having already replaced N'Guessan in 4 matches in the first round and the main round (Austria, Switzerland, Algeria, Iceland).

Hit in the adductors during the first match won against the

Acquevillo (Nîmes) does

Norway (28-24), N'Guessan (28, 83 caps) relapsed Wednesday in the quarter-finals against Hungary (35-32 after extra time).

According to the team doctor, this is a new injury to the right thigh.

Karabatic (32 years old, 112 caps) was hit in the abdominals.

Expected, this double forfeit is a new blow for the Blues, arrived in Egypt without the icon Nikola Karabatic, victim of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee in October, and who lost along the way the goalkeeper Wesley Pardin, also seriously injured in the right knee against Switzerland.

Left-back N.1 in front of Romain Lagarde, N'Guessan made a shattering comeback on Sunday against Portugal (5 goals in the first period).

Associated with Ludovic Fabregas in the axis, Luka Karabatic is the boss of the French defense.

The absence of Karabatic should benefit Nicolas Tournat, very effective at the end of the match against the Hungarians (3/3 on shots at 6 m, a goal and a penalty obtained in overtime).

© 2021 AFP