- Crystal Palace star Lacroix impressed during international break
- Clear defensive hierarchy, with four France stars ahead
- World Cup dream unlikely
Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix was awarded his first call-up to the French senior team during this international break, after Arsenal man William Saliba withdrew from the squad with an injury.
Despite impressing across Les Bleus friendlies, French outlet L’Équipe believes it will take another injury for Lacroix to be included in the squad that flies out to the USA, Canada and Mexico in the Summer.
Didier Deschamps has always been a manager who sticks to his favourites; It took Michael Olise’s move to Bayern Munich for him to realise that omitting him from his squad wasn’t an option.
Doubts Over Lacroix’s World Cup Place
The hierarchy of defenders in the French squad is clear, with Lacroix behind the likes of Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konaté and also Lucas Hernandez.
Whilst Palace fans, and French fans alike, may believe that Lacroix is ahead of one or two of those names in terms of footballing ability, Deschamps’ reluctance to stray from his trusted players may mean that the Palace man will have to hope for another injury issue in order to break through.
Even then, he’s most likely on par with Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana, a player who has struggled massively with fitness issues across his entire career.
As International debuts go, Lacroix couldn’t have done better.
Capitalising on the chance offered to him after Upamecano’s red card against Brazil, Lacroix went on to start against Colombia, earning himself an ‘8’ rating from L’Équipe, as France won 3-1.
It may be that his chances of a maiden World Cup are squandered by Deschamps preference to stick to what he knows, but after watching both of his appearances over the last week, it would be quite surprising if the French manager wasn’t at the very least scratching his head when it comes to his central defensive selection.
Lacroix Perfect at Palace
Since his arrival in South London, Lacroix has been assured, consistent and at times electric. His recovery pace allows him to defend on the front foot, with aggressive pressing which forces opponents to make mistakes.
In his second full season at Palace, he’s now scored three goals, two coming in the Europa Conference League, as well as assisting twice in the Premier League.
His development has been rapid, quickly making him one of the most reliable members of the Palace squad.
Should Deschamps decide to include him in the World Cup squad, it feels like a choice that could greatly influence Les Bleus’ tournament.
