Camavinga, Tchouameni, Griezmann and more face a battle to make Didier Deschamps' first team.

With the World Cup on the horizon, this is the period international managers earn their corn. Monitoring club form, tweaking the idea of a perfect Xl, deciding on who will be a good squad player and who to leave at home. For some countries, that decision-making process is going to be stressful. France manager Didier Deschamps is in for a particularly brutal process.

Having too many good options is an enviable problem to have, but nonetheless a tricky matter when it pits tournament-tested veterans with sentimental pull against rising stars. And few nations boast as many exciting prospects as Les Bleus.

Jules Kounde, 23, continues his growth for Barcelona despite being used at right-back rather than his preferred position of centre-back. Aurelien Tchouameni, 22, played a ridiculous, dance-inspiring over the top assist to Rodrygo last weekend in a derby win over Atletico Madrid. He's fully answered Carlo Ancelotti's demand to play better. Wesley Fofana, 21, just cost Chelsea a fee that could rise to £75 million ($88m).

Those are a few of the players who weren’t around in 2018, when France featured only two outfield starters older than 30 en route to World Cup glory. Most of the first-teamers then believed they would be able to keep their place in 2022 – but now that's not so clear.

Here are six of the most interesting starting line-up scraps Deschamps must track as the 2022 World Cup approaches, as of late-September…

Getty ImagesHugo Lloris vs Mike Maignan

Surely the captain won’t be dropped, right?

You know what, he probably won't. GOAL correspondent Naim Beneddra says there is "no chance" that Lloris loses his place barring unforeseen circumstances. But the AC Milan keeper is a better player than Lloris at the moment, period. In every statistical category that matters (and even some that don't – he kicks the ball eight yards further on average, for example) he performs better than Lloris, and he's coming off a league championship win to boot. If Hugo messes up in Qatar, don't say we didn't tell you his deputy was the better bet.

As it stands: Lloris

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLucas Hernandez vs Presnel Kimpembe vs William Saliba

Raphael Varane is enjoying a positive run at Manchester United since being paired with Lisandro Martinez, and besides, he’s a Deschamps favourite. He's at the top of the team sheet, no doubt about it. Kounde, meanwhile, is just about a certainty for the starting line-up on current form.

If Deschamps plays Kounde at right-back or in a back-three, it would open up one more starting centre-back spot.

William Saliba’s quick acclimation to the Premier League at Arsenal makes him a surprise candidate, but Deschamps is far more familiar with Bayern Munich's Lucas Hernandez and Paris Saint-Germain's Presnel Kimpembe.

Lucas Hernandez started the 2018 final at left-back, but has since transitioned to a central role and entered September as the front runner to be picked by the manager. He's now out several weeks with an adductor injury, which will give Saliba and Kimpembe extra opportunity. Regardless, he remains the first choice barring a further health setback.

Keep an eye on Fofana and Dayot Upamecano as long-shot options, too.

As it stands: Lucas Hernandez

Getty ImagesFerland Mendy vs Theo Hernandez vs Lucas Digne

Ferland Mendy, the 27-year-old starting left-back for Real Madrid, has made just seven senior France appearances in his career. He hasn’t appeared for Les Bleus since 2020.

"Mendy went down in the hierarchy," says Beneddra. "He was not very convincing when he played [under Deschamps]."

Except a rash of recent injuries at the position have changed everything. AC Milan's Theo Hernandez was primed to rove the left corridor in Qatar, but he's out at least a couple of weeks. Lucas Digne was called in as a replacement for France's September squad, but now he's also out with an adductor injury.

So, Mendy is back in camp with an unexpected chance to make a late impression. He'll need to play the games of his life to change Deschamps' mind.

As it stands: Theo Hernandez

Getty ImagesN’Golo Kante vs Aurelien Tchouameni

The longer N’Golo Kante goes without a sustained stretch of full health, the more France will need to think of backup defensive midfield options. He is traditionally an absolute certainty for Deschamps, but he made just 21 league starts for Chelsea in 2021-22 and remains out with a hamstring injury, opening the door for Tchouameni to start against Austria and Denmark in the Nations League later this month.

If Kante is fit entering Qatar, he'll get the nod. Can't overthink it. But Tchouameni is doing his best at Real Madrid to make things interesting and at least represents a strong Plan B.

Aston Villa's Boubacar Kamara, another candidate, was sent home with an injury this week, which could enable Monaco's Youssouf Fofana to receive his first senior cap.

As it stands: Kante