2023 World Cup – Amandine Henry, towards “unavailability” for the Women’s World Cup according to Hervé Renard

Amandine Henry, back in the France team after two and a half years on the sidelines, is very uncertain for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (July 20 – August 20), hinted Thursday evening the new coach of the Blues, Hervé Renard.

The French midfielder, physically impaired for several months, was forced to withdraw from the match won 3-0 against Ireland on Thursday evening in Dublin after being hit in the calf the day before in training.

“It’s gonna be hard now, we’re gonna say it was the worst time for it to happen“, said Hervé Renard. “It’s fate, there will be the MRI tomorrow (Friday, editor’s note) but normally we know what to expect, it will be unavailable, it will have to be replaced“, added the coach of the Blues.

Tounkara should come back

It was he who had recalled Henry in Blue, ending the disgrace in which the previous coach, Corinne Deacon, had plunged her. Aïssatou Tounkara, dismissed on Tuesday, would therefore return to the group of 23. Henry, 33, appeared with a very closed face during the warm-up of the Bleues, before their match against Ireland.

The former captain of Les Bleues has not played a single game since the beginning of March, first due to an injury, then to sick leave taken “for personal reasons” pending his move from Lyon to Angel City, a Californian franchise she has just joined. Earlier in the day, a source close to Les Bleues told AFP that he was “not very optimistic“As for his participation in the World Cup in Australia.

The France team, which played its last warm-up match in Europe in Dublin, will fly to Australia on Saturday, where it will face the host country in a friendly on July 14 in Melbourne. The start of the World Cup is scheduled for July 23 in Sydney against Australia.

Against Ireland, Kadi Diani, who is coming back from a collarbone injury, played on the right side for an hour, with Eugénie Le Sommer in charge, and Selma Bacha on the left side. Lyonnaise Amel Majri and defender Elisa De Almeida, who felt pain during the two weeks of preparation, returned at the end of the match. Kenza Dali, Sandie Toletti and Grace Geyoro start in the middle.