French coach inks in 18 names

Roger Lemerre is close to finalising his 22

France coach Roger Lemerre has virtually named his Euro 2000 squad with the announcement of an 18-strong training group.

With Laurent Blanc, Lilian Thuram, Christian Karembeu and Nicolas Anelka unable to attend the camp at Clairefontaine due to club commitments, the final 22-man squad is expected to comprise those four plus the training group.

There is no privilege for the World Cup players - if they are in the squad, it is on merit. It is the best team to represent the country.

Roger Lemerre

Karembeu and Anelka are part of the Real Madrid team preparing for the Champions League Final in Paris on Wednesday, while Inter Milan's Blanc and Parma's Thuram meet in a Uefa Cup play-off match in Italy.

"It is foreseeable that we will be 22 on Thursday night," said Lemerre, who will make no further comment until 1 June, when the official list must be submitted to Uefa.

Monaco's uncapped defender Philippe Christanval was dropped from an initial group of 12 who spent the last week together in the Alps.

Eighteen of the 22 players were part of the French squad that won the World Cup in 1998.

The newcomers are Bordeaux trio Ulrich Rame, Johan Micoud and Sylvain Wiltord, plus Nicolas Anelka, who failed to make the cut two years ago.

Alain Boghossian misses out through injury

The four World Cup winners to miss out are Auxerre's Stephane Guivarc'h and Bernard Diomede, plus Rangers goalkeeper Lionel Charbonnier and Parma midfielder Alain Boghossian, the last of whom is injured.

The squad represents a formidable blend of experience and youth which is virtually unmatched in the tournament.

But not all the French preparations have gone smoothly.

There had been indications during France's qualifying campaign that senior players such as Blanc and skipper Didier Deschamps, who are believed to be influential in selection matters, did not look kindly on the promotion of new blood at the expense of France 98 stars.

But Lemerre denied he had shown any favours to the World Cup veterans, saying: "There have been no privileges for the World Cup players.

"If they are still in the squad today, it is because of their deeds, it is on merit. They are brilliant."

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France training squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Fabien Barthez, Bernard Lama, Ulrich Rame

Defenders: Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly, Frank Leboeuf, Vincent Candela

Midfielders: Zinedine Zidane, Youri Djorkaeff, Didier Deschamps, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires, Johan Micoud

Forwards: Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Sylvain Wiltord, Christophe Dugarry