Like a week earlier in Split, Hugo Lloris will leave his place in the goals of the Blues to Mike Maignan, Monday against Croatia.
Didier Deschamps has chosen to entrust the captaincy again to Presnel Kimpembe for this match in Saint-Denis, capital for the future of the Blues in the League of Nations.
The Parisian defender assumes this interim with pride but without pressure.
We do not know if Presnel Kimpembe practiced the game of the Liar in his young years, but he was not to shine there.
The PSG defender was present in front of the journalists this Sunday at the Stade de France.
In place of the captain traditionally occupied by Hugo Lloris, whose replacement by Mike Maignan this Monday against Croatia in the League of Nations had already filtered before the press conference.
And yet, when questioned on the subject, "Presko" assured to have "no idea" of the holder of the function in Saint-Denis.
“But it is a great pride to be able to wear this armband, he added immediately, referring to his debut in the function in Blue, last Monday in Split (1-1), where Maignan had already replaced Lloris in the cages.
It looks like it's just a piece of fabric, but this piece of fabric means so much.
There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things that come to mind.
It is an accumulation of hours of work, of sacrifice.
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Called to the desk in the process, Didier Deschamps did not say much, but he did not hide too much on the subject.
So Didier, Kimpembe captain?
“He's a fighter, a leader, he's expressive too, justified the coach of a defending champion still looking for success in this competition (two draws, one defeat).
He has lived with us for some time.
I could have put in others but change for a change… He fulfilled his role in the second game.
It is up to him to repeat it.
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A landmark in a battered collective
At almost 27 years old (August 13), the world champion with 28 caps since March 2018 almost displays the profile of an old man in a breathless collective, which Deschamps is forced to constantly remodel over this absurd series of four matches in 10 days which ends on Monday.
After a season that never ends (except for Paul Pogba, on the flank since April 19), Ngolo Kanté (injured) and Lucas Hernandez (future dad) have already folded the saplings.
Théo Hernandez, William Saliba and Moussa Diaby did not take part in collective training this Sunday while Karim Benzema, Ibrahima Konaté and Boubacar Kamara were treated to a very light session, and Kylian Mbappé's knee is monitored as much by the staff of the Blues than the smile of the Mona Lisa by that of the Louvre.
Beware of relegation
In this suffering collective five months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, Kimpembe embodies a certain idea of stability, coupled with a unifying personality.
"The captaincy is a natural role that I'm used to having at PSG", he underlined, even if for him, his young teammates, due to their club experience, do not have "so much need me more than that”.
What the Blues especially need on Monday is a victory to fend off the specter of relegation to the second division of the League of Nations which would frankly make a mess.
“The players of the France team are used to pressure, let go of the Parisian.
We will try to have fun.
We know the importance of this match to stay in the game.
" No doubt.
In terms of the intensity of the speech, the interim of Hugo Lloris is perfectly assured.
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