French boss left with few choices

Raymond Domenech yesterday revealed the extent of his growing discomfort ahead of next weekend's visit to Paris by the Republic of Ireland. The French coach admitted trying to lure three of his country's veteran stars back with last-minute calls before he named his squad.

Domenech, who will come under pressure if France fail to beat the Irish, told a press conference in Paris he had called three players - Zinedine Zidane, Lillian Thuram and Claude Makalele - to ask if they would reconsider their decisions to retire from international football but all three had declined. "I had phone contact with certain players (he subsequently revealed their identities when pressed) to see if they wanted to come back," said the coach. "They said no and I won't ask the question again."

The faintly desperate attempt to strengthen the squad comes at a time when he is faced with a crisis in midfield where, in addition to Zidane and Makalele, both Patrick Vieira (suspension) and Benoit Pedretti (injury) will miss next Saturday's game against the Republic of Ireland.

"We have a big, big deficit in midfield," confirmed the coach who said after last month's opening qualifiers against Israel and the Faroe Islands that his greatest problem is the lack of international experience among players on the periphery of what was a phenomenally successful squad.

In the absence of so many players he would have liked to have available, Domenech has recalled Roma midfielder Olivier Dacourt to his panel, while Mikael Silvestre and Sylvain Wiltord have reclaimed places lost after poor displays at Euro 2004.

The former Arsenal midfielder has done well for Lyon in the club's opening two games of the Champions League while the Manchester United defender's early season form has dramatically improved since Portugal.

"He has shown he is performing well and the door is never closed," said the coach of the centre back.

Left out once again, however, is Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka, who finds himself behind the likes of Djibril Cisse, Wiltord and his Lyon team-mate Sidney Govou, despite having made a strong start to the season in England with five goals for his club Manchester City.

Domenech declined to go into his reasons for omitting the controversial striker, who previously fell out with Jacques Santini, but insisted that his decision was based on form.

Anelka's recent displays for City, however, had generated a good deal of expectation that he would be called up, particularly at a time when there is ongoing concern over the contribution at international level of Thierry Henry, who has scored just two goals in his last 10 games for "Les Bleus".

Louis Saha, meanwhile, will miss both the Ireland game and the visit to Cyprus four days later because of injury.

There is, however, better news for next week's hosts in relation to David Trezeguet who is fit again and included in the panel for the games.

Defensively there are problems, too, with Eric Abidal unavailable because of injury and Willy Sagnol still recovering from a broken leg.

Little wonder then that Domenech was anxious to add experience to a department in which William Gallas is now comfortably the team's most capped player by tempting Thuram back.

With few players of established quality remaining to be drafted in Domenech has handed a recall after three years to Jonathan Zebina while Rio Antonio Mavuba (20), the highly rated Bordeaux midfielder, is also included.

Despite his various difficulties Domenech remained publicly upbeat about his team's prospects over the coming weeks, but observers in France believe that he needs four points from the two games if he is not to suddenly find himself under severe pressure.

His situation is not helped by the fact the public have proved rather indifferent to a team clearly deep in transition after the departure of so many stars and there is a fear that, with more than 20,000 visiting fans in the Stade de France next Saturday night, home advantage will not count for all that much.

Clearly wary of the potential for Brian Kerr's side to come here and make life even tougher for him, Domenech was dutifully respectful yesterday.

"Their players are performing at the highest level," he said. "I think they've only lost once in the last 10 and have beaten the Czech Republic and drawn with Brazil. They're a good team."

FRANCE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Fabien Barthez (Olympique Marseille), Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon)

Defenders: Jean-Alain Boumsong (Rangers, Scotland), Patrice Evra (Monaco), William Gallas (Chelsea, England), Gael Givet (Monaco), Bernard Mendy (Paris St Germain), Mickael Silvestre (Manchester United, England), Sebastien Squillaci (Monaco), Jonathan Zebina (Juventus, Italy)

Midfielders: Olivier Dacourt (AS Roma, Italy) Alou Diarra (RC Lens), Rio Mavuba (Girondins Bordeaux), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal, England)

Forwards: Djibril Cisse (Liverpool, England), Ludovic Giuly (Barcelona, Spain), Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyon), Thierry Henry (Arsenal, England), Robert Pires (Arsenal, England), David Trezeguet (Juventus, Italy), Sylvain Wiltord (Olympique Lyon).