France must pray that Zidane is fit to return.

By Reece Killworth

Click here for Denmark v Senegal match report
Click here for Cameroon v Saudi Arabia match report
Click here for France v Uruguay match report

The feeling in England before the World Cup was that the nation's hopes rested on one man's metatarsal.

France must now know what it feels like, as the length of their campaign will surely depend on whether Zinedine Zidane can get himself fit to face Denmark on Tuesday afternoon.

For the next five days the people of France should unite in prayer that the Real Madrid playmaker can shake off the thigh injury that has kept him out of the first two matches.

Because if Zidane isn't fit to take his place in the starting line-up, France could well be staring at an early exit from the tournament they won so impressively last time around.

The simple fact is that France need to beat Denmark by at least two goals to ensure they move into the second phase.

Such a result would rip up the formbook established so far this tournament.

The Danes have generally looked solid at the back and have conceded two goals in their two games - both of which have been contenders for goal of the finals.

And France's attack has certainly not been firing on all cylinders.

Thierry Henry - who has been used on the flank - looks a shadow of the Arsenal player who led them to the Double last season while David Trezeguet, one of the most feared strikers in the world, has too often looked isolated.

The talent is still undoubtedly there, as it is throughout the team, but the French are lacking someone to pull it all together.

Youri Djorkaeff and Johan Micoud have both been deployed in the Zidane role but have failed to fill his boots - who could? – and the sorry record of one point after two games leaves the French on the brink of a heartbreaking exit.

Their performance against Uruguay on day seven of the tournament was far from poor.

In fact, they can consider themselves a little lucky not to have won despite being hampered by the loss of Frank Leboeuf and Thierry Henry, the latter dismissed for an over-the-ball tackle on Marcelo Romero as his frustration at a lack of service boiled over.

But for all their chances they lacked the cutting edge needed to beat Fabian Carini in the Uruguay goal.

And that is where Zidane comes in.

Already shorn of the pace and skill of Robert Pires out wide, the French will face Denmark without Henry, who is suspended.

And any side would struggle without three of their first-choice midfielders, despite the tremendous strength in depth the French have in their squad.

So Zidane's recovery is vital if Roger Lemerre's men are to avoid the humiliation of crashing out at the first stage.

*****

Earlier, in the day's first Group A match Liverpool fans had a chance to see the good, the bad and the ugly from new signing Salif Diao.

Seven minutes into the game they would have wondered what Gerard Houllier was doing shelling out £5million on the man who gifted Denmark a penalty by inexplicably jumping into the back of Jon Dahl Tomasson in the area.

Just after half-time their faith in Houllier would have been restored after the Anfield-bound Diao ran fully 70 yards from box to box to ensure he was on the end of a great move to draw his side level.

He was not done there though.

Eleven minutes from time Diao went in rashly over the ball and was deservedly sent off – as Henry was later in the day in a very similar incident.

So what is the early opinion on Diao?

Well, he is undoubtedly a talented player in the Patrick Vieira mould who – as English managers like to say – "has a good engine".

The rushes of blood he suffered in conceding the penalty and then getting himself sent off will be a worry, but if they can be tempered then Houllier has a good buy.

The other man who stood out in the Senegalese line-up was defender Ferdinand Coly, who certainly looks cut out for the English game.

With pace, power and strength in the tackle, Coly has all the attributes needed to be a success in any of the world's big leagues.

One of the pundits said during the game that Coly would "surely be in a few Premiership managers' notebooks".

I can't help but agree.

*****

Sandwiched between the two Group A games was Cameroon v Saudi Arabia, a match where the team branded the worst team in the tournament after their 8-0 mauling by Germany faced the African champions.

The pre-match talk was all about the Saudis' dire defending against Germany and how this would surely be another goal-fest.

But those predictions were blown out of the water as the Saudis turned in a resolute performance at the back and were unfortunate not to claim a point.

They looked a completely different side from the one that was seemingly scared to head the ball against the Germans and for that they – and their coach Nasser Al Johar – deserve credit.

The team to benefit from the 1-0 victory for Cameroon were Mick McCarthy's Ireland, who must surely fancy their chances of progressing to the second phase.

A 2-0 defeat of the Saudis in their final group game would assure them of a place in the next round and they will be bullish about their chances.

But it's not over yet.

The Saudis showed enough quality – through Nawaf Al Temyat in particular – against Cameroon to show they will be no pushovers.

Irish eyes will certainly be smiling today, but it is vital they do not take them of the ball.

Failing to finish the job now would be heartbreaking.

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