France team, AC Milan: Olivier Giroud injured with the Bleues

Olivier Giroud was injured last night with Les Bleus. It came at the worst possible time for the striker.

It’s to his credit. He’s got the physique to do it, the lifestyle and the mental strength. He has the desire to stay at the top level. He did it last year, and now he’s back on a very good footing. A few years ago, 35 was the limit. Today, quite a few of them are approaching 40. It’s also the fact that there are fewer injuries, everything has improved, including medical preparation. But with that, you need the mentality, the state of mind. Olivier has that and that’s a very good thing. This is what Didier Deschamps had to say about the longevity of a certain Olivier Giroud before facing Ireland. Such praise ultimately led to a disaster scenario for Les Bleus’ all-time top scorer (54 goals).

Injured in the opening moments of the match after contact with John Egan, the French striker finally gave way to Marcus Thuram before the half-hour mark (26th). Taken care of by the France team’s medical staff, the AC Milan centre-forward – grimacing on the bench – then watched Les Bleus’ convincing 2-0 victory over Ireland. Present in the mixed zone a few minutes after the final whistle, the former Montpellier HSC player was nevertheless reassuring. «I think it’s not too serious, I’m going to have some tests done, and I’m already limping a lot less, so that’s good» he said, before saying more about the nature of the injury.

Dorcas