Trezeguet Desailly rift adds to French woe

DAVID TREZEGUET has hit back at criticism from Marcel Desailly after the France captain reacted angrily to the striker’s claim that he had been starved of service in the 1-0 defeat to Senegal.

"Marcel should worry about his own problems instead of other people’s," the Juventus striker snapped.

France are still feeling the fallout from their shock opening day defeat and hostility in Roger Lemerre’s squad has only served to heighten tensions ahead of Thursday’s crucial clash with Uruguay.

By then Lemerre will be hoping for more positive news on the injury to playmaker Zinedine Zidane without whom France looked bereft of ideas last week.

In Zidane’s absence neither Yourri Djorkaeff nor Christoph Dugarry were able to make their mark on a combative and tireless Senegal side and Trezeguet did not hesitate to point the finger at, in his opinion, the reason behind Les Bleus’ defeat.

In reply, Desailly told Trezeguet in no uncertain terms to take a leaf out of Senegal striker El Hadji Diouf’’s book.

Diouf, forced to play alone up front, was a constant source of problems for Desailly and central defence partner Frank Leboeuf, and it was the Liverpool-bound striker who set up Pape Bouba Diop’s first-half winner.

"Sure he was frustrated but he had Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Youri Djorkaeff serving him," Desailly said.

"We don’t ask much of David Trezeguet, we just want him to be there where we need him up front. Look at all Diouf was able to achieve holding the ball up and giving his team time to catch their breath."

Trezeguet struck the post with a fierce drive before Senegal took the lead, but complained that otherwise he was forced to fight for balls punted forward from the back as France struggled to gel in midfield.

"I hit the post but you can’t call that teamwork," he moaned. "By the end of the match all we were getting were long balls aimed at me or Dugarry’s head."

Meanwhile playmaker Zidane will not play against Uruguay unless he has fully recovered from a thigh injury.

Zidane’s possible absence for Thursday’s Uruguay match was splashed on the front page of sports daily L’Equipe on Monday.

Without giving a source, the newspaper said Zidane is running short of time to be fit for the key group A game in Pusan. But daily Le Parisien ran a story hinting that the French playmaker is recovering faster than expected and should start.

"The injury is evolving favourably. The treatment and the work will step up in the next few days," team doctor Jean-Marcel Ferret said.

France opted to train behind closed doors yesterday ahead of the match against Uruguay, who lost 2-1 to Denmark in the second group A game on Saturday. France play Denmark on June 11.