France gamble on Zidane to save blushes

FRANCE are prepared to gamble on Zinedine Zidane’s fitness as they attempt to save their World Cup campaign from disaster.

Coach Roger Lemerre will leave it to Zidane to decide if he is fit enough to face Uruguay in today’s crunch clash in the Asiad Stadium.

Zidane resumed training on Monday after tearing a thigh muscle during a recent friendly against South Korea, and Lemerre is ready to trust the Real Madrid star’s judgment.

The midfielder has been to hospital this week for tests and Lemerre said: ‘‘He himself knows how he is.

‘‘Everybody knows he has started running and the injury is responding well to treatment.

‘‘We will consult the doctors and we will see how he is in the morning.

"If he wants to play, and I think he wants to play, I will let him. If he wants to play it is up to him.

‘‘It wouldn’t be that big a risk and if you have a cold and are unwell, then you know best when you are well again.

‘‘It’s like that with him and he will know when he’s ready. Of course there are always some doubts and some risks, but it is up to him.’’ Lemerre is anxious to have Zidane back - as well as Youri Djorkaeff who has a groin injury - and he knows France’s reign as World Cup holders would effectively be over if they lost to Uruguay.

Last Friday’s shock defeat to Senegal has left France contemplating the unthinkable and Lemerre hopes this will spur his players on.

‘‘If we draw we will know that we will still have a chance, but if we lose then we know we will be going home,’’ he said.

‘‘These South American teams play well against European sides. The quality is similar so we understand what we are up against,’’ he added.

Captain Marcel Desailly claims the French people are still coming to terms with that Senegal defeat and expect the team to go all the way.

‘‘For sure this has given us a lot of problems,’’ he said.

‘‘The French people were all surprised when we lost against Senegal because for them we were expected to win the World Cup. It was like an earthquake.

‘‘But in the squad we knew it would always be step by step and that the first round would be difficult. But for the fans, even if we were to lose in the quarter-finals or semi-finals they would say this is not good.’’

Uruguay are also desperate for three points after losing to Denmark in their first Group A game and Desailly feels it should be a more open game compared to the Senegal match. The Chelsea defender was frustrated by Senegal’s reluctance to venture out of their own half and he said:

"Maybe the fact that we will be playing a team who won’t play in their own half and wait for us will make it easier.

‘‘All the games since ours have been open and there has always been some space.

‘‘It was only against the French the opposition sat in their own half and play on the counter-attack.

‘‘But Uruguay will be difficult. They are very intelligent tactically, while Alvaro Recoba is going to be tough to mark.’’