European Under-21 Championships: Predicted France line-up for England clash, including Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United targets
The European Under-21 Championships got under way at the weekend and we’ve already seen the likes of Germany, Spain and host nation Italy in action.
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It’s time for England to get their campaign started and their first game against France promises to be a very tricky one – and you can listen to the match LIVE on talkSPORT.
Aidy Boothroyd’s side are also in a group alongside Croatia and Romania as they target glory on the continent.
There’s a great deal of anticipation to see who will get the nod for the Young Lions, with a number of Premier League stars set to be on show.
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But their opponents also have a lot of talent at their disposal including the likes Moussa Dembele, Matteo Guendouzi and Houssem Aouar.
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So how might Les Bleuets (The Little Blues) line up against England?
Below you can see talkSPORT.com’s predicted France Under-21 XI for their Group C opener.
LIVE ON talkSPORT
talkSPORT is your home of live football! Here's what's coming up on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2…
- England Under-21s vs France Under-21s (Tuesday, 8pm) – talkSPORT
- Japan vs England – Women’s World Cup – (Wednesday, 8pm) – talkSPORT
- Scotland vs Argentina – Women’s World Cup – (Wednesday, 8pm) – talkSPORT 2
- England Under-21s vs Romania Under-21s (Friday, 5:30pm) – talkSPORT 2
France are without centre-back and captain Abdou Diallo for the tournament as he has a muscle injury.
In the Borussia Dortmund player’s absence, they’ll have to reshuffle things at the back which could see Kelvin Amian play in the centre even though he’s usually a right-back. Paris Saint-Germain’s Colin Dagba could occupy the right-back slot.
France usually play a 4-3-3 system but may opt for four players in midfield in order to stifle England’s creativity.
Guendouzi is good at breaking up the play, while Lucas Tousart and Celtic’s Olivier Ntcham offer a decent amount of experience.
Meanwhile, Houssem Aouar, who has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea this summer, will play the No.10 role. England will have to keep close tabs on him.
The French usually play three up front but given Martin Terrier’s absence with illness, they could choose to go with just two up top.
Former Celtic man Moussa Dembele and Jonathan Bamba have experience and could be a formidable force.