Camavinga likely to replace Rabiot in France lineup against Portugal

With two days to go before the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Portugal, the question mark over Deschamps' new eleven is the replacement for the suspended Adrien Rabiot, who has started each of the four matches so far, with Camavinga emerging as an option to replace him. Indeed, 'L'Equipe' puts him as favourite to take his compatriot's place.

"Adrien is unfortunately suspended. We're going to have to replace him. He's an excellent player. He's very active, very confident, but he won't be there against Portugal. We'll have to find a solution," Guu Stephan, the assistant coach, told a press conference on Wednesday in Paderborn, where the French team is training with a full squad.

Reduced so far to 48 minutes in two games, the 1-0 win over Austria and the 1-1 draw with Poland, in which his performance was unconvincing, Camavinga's potential moment appears in a match of enormous importance, with the semi-finals at stake, although he is not the only possibility to complete the midfield, which has belonged to Kante, Tchouameni and Rabiot himself for the last three games.

The absence of Rabiot, who was cautioned for the second time in this tournament in the last 16 against Belgium and was consequently suspended, opens a gap in that line, in a decision still pending for Deschamps, who must choose how to make up for the Juventus player's absence: whether with a more natural replacement or by moving Antoine Griezmann further back.

"Camavinga is a left-footed midfielder, he likes to occupy space and participate in the game. Antoine is more of a last pass player, but he is also very self-sacrificing and generous with his effort. He (Griezmann) already played in that position, or at least very close to it, at the 2022 World Cup," Deschamps' assistant Guy Stephan said on Wednesday, without revealing what the final decision will be for that position, where there is another option: Monaco's Youssouf Fofana.