Samir Bellahcene, one of the two goalkeepers of the French team to have played the first two matches of the World Cup, has withdrawn from the rest of the competition due to injury and is replaced by Valentin Kieffer, the Federation announced on Saturday January 18 French.
Montpellier's Bellahcene injured his right thigh on Friday in training, on the eve of the last match of the Blues' preliminary round, against Austria (6 p.m.) in Porec (Croatia), said FFHandball.
A match for which Charles Bolzinger, in the stands during the first two matches (37-19 against Qatar and 43-19 against Kuwait), will form the pair of goalkeepers with Rémi Desbonnet.
Also read:
French goalkeepers scrutinized by Vincent Gérard during the World Handball Championship
Five possible changes in total
Kieffer (25 years old, 0 selection), called up for the French team for the first time in November, will join the group on Sunday in Varazdin (Croatia), where the Blues will begin the main round on Tuesday. Also joining his father, Jean-Luc, French goalkeeper coach.
Coach Guillaume Gille can make five changes to his group of 18 players during the World Cup.
