Cisse, Thuram French casualties

THE COMFORTABLE 3-0 victory against the Faroe Islands in Lens on Saturday night may have helped put the smile back on the face of French football but at the local club’s training centre in nearby Avion yesterday, manager Raymond Domenech was counting the physical cost of a game which saw France draw level with Ireland and Switzerland atop what is literally the group of four.

Djibril Cisse, who scored twice and had a third effort deflected into the net by Suni Olsen, is extremely doubtful for Wednesday's game at Lansdowne Road with a twisted ankle. Defender Lilian Thuram, forced out of Saturday's action with a dead leg, is another of France's walking wounded and has a 50-50 chance to play against Ireland.

But the good news for France and the bad news for Ireland is that, despite taking a hefty knock which needed an ice pack to his calf muscle after he was taken off on the hour mark, Zinedine Zidane will be fit to play at Lansdowne Road.