Blues coach Guillaume Gille sent this Friday to the International Handball Federation the names of the 35 players likely to play in the next world championship in January.
This Friday, Blues coach Guillaume Gille sent the International Federation the list of 35 players for the World Cup, organized in three countries (Croatia, Denmark, Norway) from January 14 to February 2. All players on this list are likely to be selected for the course from December 21 to 24 at the Maison du hand in Créteil (Val-de-Marne) and for the competition.
But make no mistake, the French coach will not take 35 players to Croatia on January 14. On the morning of this opening match against Qatar, Guillaume Gille will submit a list of 18 players from which he will choose 16 for each match. Throughout the competition, the coach of the reigning European champions will be able to make five changes of players from the list of 35.
Eight new to the expanded list
In this list we find several players who on paper will have difficulty competing in the World Cup. First two injured, Elohim Prandi (left shoulder) and Kentin Mahé (left elbow tendon surgery) who were both injured, but also Timothey N’Guessan who announced his international retirement last October.
Who says expanded list says new kids, there are eight without the slightest selection: Théo Avelange Demouge (28 years old), Lucas de la Bretèche (23 years old), Noah Gaudin (22 years old, son of Christian, double world champion goalkeeper in 1995 and 2001), Tom Pelayo (27 years old), Benjamin Richert (26 years old), Queido Traoré (30 years old), Guéric Vincent (22 years old) and Valentin Kieffer (25 years old, son of Jean-Luc, goalkeeper coach of the Blues).
The list of 35
Goalkeepers: Bellahcene (Stuttgart/ALL), Bolzinger (Montpellier), Desbonnet (Montpellier), V. Kieffer (Chambéry), Pardin (Nîmes).
Right rear: Acquevillo (Nîmes), Bos (Nantes), Mem (Barcelona/ESP); Pelayo Dunkirk), Mr. Richardson (Barcelona).
Left rear: Briet (Nantes), Lagarde (Aix), N’Guessan (Barcelona), Prandi (PSG).
Right wingers: Avelange Demouge (Nantes), Kounkoud (Kielce/POL), Y. Lenne (Montpellier), Richert (Chambéry).
Left wingers: Descat (Veszprem/HON), Grébille (PSG), Nahi (Kielce), Traoré (Chambéry), Vincent (Nîmes).
Center halves: L. De la Bretèche (Nantes), Gaudin (Skjern/DAN), Mahé (Gummersbach/ALL), Minne (Nantes), Remili (Veszprem).
Pivots : Fabregas (Veszprem, cap.), L. Karabatic (PSG), Konan (Montpellier), A. Lenne (Montpellier), Monar (Kielce), Toto (Szeged/HON), Tournat (Nantes).
