The joy with which Didier Deschamps was experiencing the good form of Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki... has turned to concern.
The second leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Liverpool and PSG (0-2) produced a worrying medical report for both teams, but especially for France with a view to the World Cup. The injuries to Hugo Ekitike (31') and Nuno Mendes (38') were compounded in the second half by the injury to Desire Doue (52').
None as serious as Ekitike's, who was carried off on a stretcher in tears. The former Eintracht player, signed in the summer for 95 million, is ruled out of the World Cup. "It doesn't look good for Hugo. It's especially difficult for him because you never want to get injured, especially at this time of the season," admitted Arne Slot.
"Based on the images, I would say there is a 90% chance that it is a ruptured Achilles tendon," said Nicolas Baudrier, a specialist in ankle tendon and ligament surgery, to 'L'Equipe'
I would say there is a 90% chance it is an Achilles tendon rupture, he got up twice, but he couldn't walk
"Partial tears are virtually non-existent. When there is a tear, it is complete. It will be confirmed tonight with an MRI... but it can't be anything else. He got up twice, but he couldn't walk," insists Baudrier.
If confirmed, it is one of the most serious injuries to which a footballer is exposed, with a recovery time of approximately nine months before returning to play.
Double blow for PSG
Luis Enrique saw how Nuno Mendes gave way to Lucas Hernandez with a muscle strain. He already had, according to 'RMC', a similar problem in the first leg... but he continued to play.
More worrying is Doue. The striker, who was replaced by Barcola in the 52nd minute, suffered a blow to the knee in an incident with Szoboszlai. The former Rennes player ended up falling off the pitch and colliding with a microphone. The good news is that he was able to walk off the pitch under his own power
I'm not a doctor, but it's normal to have problems with such intense matches
"I'm not a doctor, but it's normal to have problems with such intense matches," said Luis Enrique, trying to downplay the significance of the setbacks. Didier Deschamps is certainly not so calm with the World Cup just around the corner.