Toulalan doubtful for Les Bleus

Lyon utility man Jeremy Toulalan is unlikely to play for France in their crucial World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, according to his club coach Claude Puel.

The midfielder, who has often operated as a makeshift defender for Lyon this season, has had adductor muscle trouble ever since Les Bleus’ clash with Serbia on September 9.

Puel insists that had the club been in action this weekend, the 26-year-old would not have featured.

“He would have been left to rest,” the coach told L’Equipe.

“It is up to Les Bleus’ medical staff to see if he is fit or not.”

Toulalan recently insisted the injury “is not a worry,” adding: “It comes, it goes. I can make do with it.”

But club and country colleague Sidney Govou revealed: “He has not yet trained this week. Inevitably, there is a little concern.”

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery misses both legs of the play-off due to a knee injury and Arsenal’s Abou Diaby is also a doubt, but Real Madrid’s Lassana Diarra has belatedly joined up with the squad after Copa del Rey duty.