Four players from the France team, including three usual starters, are under threat of a yellow card and could be deprived of a possible World Cup semi-final.
It’s always a fateful moment in a World Cup. The quarter-final is the last match before the counter of yellow cards is reset, a choice of Fifa which allows to avoid that a player or player warned in quarters and halves is deprived (e) of the final.
Before the quarters, therefore, four French players are under the threat of suspension in the event of a yellow card. If Kenza Dali, Clara Mateo, Sakina Karchaoui or Sandie Toletti receives a warning, there will be no semi-final for them.
In the lot, there are three players who can be considered as starters in the eyes of Hervé Renard, and whose absence would be highly detrimental. Karchaoui is a safe bet on the left of defence, while Toletti forms an effective pair with Grace Geyoro in midfield. Finally, Dali is one of the good surprises of the tournament, and his slaughter on the right wing, rewarded by a goal against Morocco, allowed him to earn his place in the eleven.
Clara Mateo, she started for the opening match and this 0-0 against Jamaica, which prompted the coach to make some readjustments. She did not come into play against Brazil and Morocco, and should therefore start on the bench on Saturday against Australia.
