World champions France are awaiting inspirational playmaker Zinedine Zidane who is to join the squad on Wednesday after attending the birth of his third child.
Zidane is expected to arrive in the afternoon in the southern sea resort of Ibusuki, where France are based for the week as they prepare for the World Cup opening match against Senegal on May 31st in Seoul.
"We are very impatient to have our 23rd man with us," French coach Roger Lemerre told a press conference. "You can't overlook the absence of such a player like Zidane.
"We are getting closer to the World Cup but we can't say we are exactly into it yet. We are going to really enter the event only once we have everybody here.
Zidane, who sealed Real Madrid's victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final, didn't play in France's 2-1 shock defeat to Belgium at the Stade de France last week.
He was in his hometown of Marseille where his wife Veronique gave birth to their third son Theo on Saturday.