Two months after the last game of Les Bleues, the coach is whistling back to school with the announcement on Tuesday morning of the group of 23 players selected for the friendly competition organized in Normandy from February 16 to 22, against Finland, Brazil and the Netherlands. .

With European competition fast approaching, this first list of 2022 offers Deacon the opportunity to refine his group, which will then only meet once, in April, before switching to the Euro.

And that causes some headaches, especially in the midfield, a rather deprived sector in the Bleues since the dismissal of former captain Amandine Henry, apparently at odds with Deacon, absent for more than a year and recently suffered a severe ankle sprain.

An injury that prevents the coach from having to justify herself on the absence of the Lyonnaise.

Hamraoui back?

The dilemma will rather concern the Parisian Kheira Hamraoui.

Three months after the assault of which she was the victim, a case still unsolved with significant repercussions in the life of PSG, the 32-year-old midfielder has returned to the highest level, and the hypothesis of a surprise return in selection is not ruled out.

The current agreement of the former Barcelonan with some of her teammates may well question, the temptation to recall Hamraoui, whose last selection dates back to April 2019, exists.

Deacon had indeed wanted to see her again in October, but Hamraoui was injured at the worst time and withdrew.

A month later, the "physical and psychological trauma" after the attack had convinced the coach to wait, as with Aminata Diallo, briefly placed in police custody in this case before being released without any charge against her.

The case of Eugénie Le Sommer seems a priori clearer, with regard to the latest lists.

Her 175 selections do not in fact give any guarantee to the top scorer in the history of the Blues (86 goals), whom Deacon did not call up during the first three gatherings this season.

"Euro target" for Le Sommer

"The door is not closed to anyone, it has always been my speech," replied the coach in November about her.

"As required by my job, I make choices."

Since then, the 32-year-old striker has returned from a successful six-month loan in the United States, at OL Reign.

"The goal is the Euro, so I'm going to want to claim each selection and I'm going to do everything to get there," said the player from Lyon in early December on RMC.

But Deacon has favored in recent months the rejuvenation of the workforce, especially in attack, where the center-forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto (23), who became the top scorer in the history of PSG on Saturday (132 goals), is unstoppable. .

Barring a physical glitch, captain Wendie Renard will see her name appear, a first since September and an injury contracted in Slovenia.

As for Bordeaux's Charlotte Bilbault, part of the Deacon era but injured on Sunday with her club, she will probably be operational in time.

The internationals playing in French D1 are expected from Saturday at Clairefontaine.

The full group will leave Yvelines on Monday afternoon to settle in Deauville, halfway between Le Havre and Caen, where their three matches of the Tournoi de France are scheduled: the 16th against Finland, the 19th against Brazil and the 22nd against the Dutch, reigning European champions.

In 2020, the French won the first edition of this four-team friendly tournament organized by the FFF each year.

The competition was canceled in 2021 due to complications related to the health crisis.

© 2022 AFP