On October 19, 2022, news came from England: Chelsea midfielder Ngolo Kante will be suspended for four months due to surgery, and will not participate in the World Cup in Qatar in November 22.
Since then, there have been different voices in fan circles about the impact of N'Golo Kanter's absence on the Gallic Roosters' World Cup prospects: some believe that the absence of the 2018 World Cup winner in Russia will overshadow France's World Cup journey, while others believe that Kante has declined too quickly in recent seasons, and with the emergence of French football talent, his absence will not have much impact on the French team as a whole.
Regardless of which side of the argument you are, N'Golo Kante's absence is now a certainty, and France boss Deschamps will have to call up other midfielders to replace N'Golo Kante. As a fan of French football for 16 years, it is necessary to take stock of which players can replace N'Golo Kante as France's midfielder. Please see:
Take stock of the top 10 potential candidates to replace N'Golo Kante France
TOP 10 LONGHIYE
Age: 27
Played for: Marseille
National team resume: never selected
Likelihood: 5%
Ligue 1 Marseille midfielder Ronguiye was a staple of new boss Tudor and became captain of Marseille after Paille's ouster, playing all of Marseille's league and Champions League games at the beginning of the 22-23 season. The player's characteristics have certain similarities with N'Golo Kante: he is relatively short, covers a large area on the field, and is good at organizing attacks after steals, but his scoring ability is significantly inferior to Kante.
Ronguiye is unlikely to replace N'Golo Kante for France, a player who is not too young and has never been selected for any of France's international teams before. Compared to the many young talents of African descent in French football, the homegrown player has no advantage.
TOP 9 TOLISO
Age: 28
Played for: Lyon
National team resume: 2 goals in 28 games
Likelihood: 10%
Tolisso, who made his name for himself with a long-range shot and was selected for the French squad for the first time in 2017, is known as the "chosen son" and seems to be the team's mascot-like existence, always able to burst out and score goals when many people are not optimistic. Tolisso's style of play is not distinct, there are no particularly outstanding highlights in various indicators except for long-range shooting, and more importantly, he is a well-known "glass man" in football, whether he played for Bayern or after returning to Lyon, he often suffered from injuries.
Because of frequent injuries, Tolisso has not been called up since he was selected for France in the summer of '21. With N'Golo Kante injured, Tolisso was one of the replacements, but it was clearly not the first choice.
TOP 8 CACRE
Age: 22
Played for: Lyon
National team resume: 0 games and 0 goals
Likelihood: 10%
Similar to Marseille's Ronguiye, the typical midfielder is a number 6. But the difference is that the youngster is a regular in the French national youth team at all levels, and has been selected for the French senior team but did not make his debut.
This player was instrumental in Lyon's Champions League semi-finals in 2020, but with too much defensive style and little contribution in attack, he is not particularly notable among the many rising stars, and the possibility of France calling up Cakre before the big tournament exists, but it is not large.
TOP 7 Heffren-Thuram
Age: 21
Played for: Nice
National team resume: never selected
Likelihood: 10%
The second son of Lillian Thuram, the eldest son of Thuram Sr. who has gradually surpassed Thuram Sr. in recent seasons, Monxing winger Marcus Thuram has attracted more and more attention from the outside world. Hefron Thuram's worth has soared to 25 million, tying for seventh place in the French midfielder's list with players such as Gundozzi, Sumare, Camara and others.
However, this player is equally unlikely to replace N'Golo Kante: firstly, he is too young to be selected for the French senior national team; Secondly, Thuram, who is 192cm tall, has similar characteristics to Pogba, and if they are partnered together, there will be a problem of homogenization.
TOP 6 VELE CHART
Age: 29
Played for: Marseille
National team resume: 0 goals in 5 games
Likelihood: 30%
Late blooming former Roma midfielder Veletu is a regular call-up for France in 2022, with a decent ability to shoot from range in the back row and a relatively balanced offensive and defensive end. However, his form after moving to Marseille was not as good as he was at his peak at Roma, and he was more mediocre in the early days of Ligue 1. If Velletu replaces N'Golo Kante, the French team will be significantly weakened.
But he is still much more likely to play than players who have never been selected for the national team, and it would be a desperate move if Veletu played as a regular in France.
TOP 5 YUSUF-FOFANA
Age: 23
Played for: Monaco
National team resume: 0 goals in 2 games
Likelihood: 40%
A midfielder who joined Monaco from Strasbourg in 2020, he is 185cm tall and has a mediocre performance in the Monaco team in Ligue 1, but he was unexpectedly favored by Deschamps and recruited into the national team. In the German transfer market, Y-Fofana is worth 20 million euros, the same as Lyon's Oar.
Perhaps Deschamps called up this player because he saw something in him that would contribute more to the team, so it is not impossible for him to replace N'Golo Kante in Pogba's partner.
TOP 4 Rabiot
Age: 27
Played for: Juventus
National team profile: 2 goals in 29 games
Likelihood: 50%
Rabiot is a regular fixture for France in the UEFA Nations League, playing as a playmaker in midfield, at the back and as a left central midfielder, and was a defensive defender in the early days when Paris Saint-Germain was first promoted. Rabiot was mediocre at Juventus in the 22-23 season and missed two UEFA Nations League games for France due to injury.
If Rabiot replaces N'Golo Kante, France's midfield will be weakened.
TOP 3 GONDOQI
Age: 23
Played for: Marseille
National team resume: 1 goal in 6 games
Likelihood: 70%
Former Arsenal "Prince" Gundouzi has been in very hot form since his move to Marseille, and as a jack of all trades in midfield, he has shown good form both offensively and defensively, but the player is more capable of defending and organising than playing in an attacking midfielder. Young, hardworking and in good form, the Moroccan midfielder is now a big red under Deschamps. If he appears in France's starting line-up at the World Cup, it will be no surprise at all.
TOP 2 Camavinga
Age: 19
Played for: Real Madrid
National team resume: 1 goal in 4 games
Likelihood: 80%
The second most expensive midfielder in the current French team, the 16-year-old Ligue 1 talent has gradually established himself in the national team, gaining some minutes in friendly matches. However, due to the fact that his performance at Real Madrid was not outstanding, it is difficult to assert that Camavinga will replace Kante 100%.
TOP 1 Joan Armeni (Chiwa Menni)
Age: 22
Played for: Real Madrid
National team resume: 1 goal in 14 games
Likelihood: 80%
The Cameroonian-born midfielder, known as the "new Pogba", has been more convincing than Camavinga after joining Real Madrid from Monaco at a sky-high price, and his €80 million transfer estimate is the highest of any French player in active service, making him the natural choice to replace Kante in his absence.
But Thuram, Fofana faces a question that Joan Armeni can't avoid: if he starts with Pogba's two tall midfielders, will there be a lack of change in France's midfield? I believe that if the results are not good after trying, manager Deschamps will inevitably make other attempts.
But don't forget that Pogba is also injured and will not be confirmed until the end of October '22, and everything will still be in flux by the time it comes to the World Cup. France's double back is at the heart of the team, and whether N'Golo Kante slips or not, there are personnel changes in this position, which do have an impact on the Gallic Roosters' World Cup prospects.