France have a lot of work to do if they want to retain the World Cup in Qatar

With a swarm of controversies plaguing French football, many fans hoped that this international break would offer some brief respite and a chance for a focus on the actual game. But Didier Deschamps comes away from the final international break before the World Cup with more questions than answers.

Fatigue and injuries were factors, as they were in June, when Deschamps turned in his worst international break since taking charge. But the bigger picture for this year is damning: one win in six Nations League fixtures makes for grim viewing. A 2-0 victory over Austria on Thursday night ensured France were not relegated but any newfound optimism disappeared over the weekend when they were beaten 2-0 by Denmark in Copenhagen.

The ever-increasing injury list somewhat exonerates that performance but it is also a cause for concern. The mainstays of Deschamps’ reign are entering the twilight of their careers and the manager does not seem to know what to do next. The circumstances have forced him to draft in the new generation but it may be too little, too late for a cohesive unit to be formed before the end of November.

Karim Benzema, Hugo Lloris and N’Golo Kanté are expected to return to action over the next few weeks, but the densely-packed fixture list is likely to cause a few more casualties. And, given how unprepared France seem to be without their regular starters, an experimental lineup could go either way.

Raphaël Varane was rested for the Denmark game and the frailty of the defence without him was laid bare by Christian Eriksen’s masterful playmaking and the unrestrained directness of young forward Andreas Skov Olsen. Despite performing well for their clubs this season, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano have some way to