Former Bordeaux player Bixente Lizarazu believes that France will struggle without Karim Benzema at the Euros this summer.
On Thursday evening Didier Deschamps will name his squad, but Benzema will not feature following his sex-tape scandal involving Mathieu Valbuena.
Lizarazu told L'Equipe, “On a sporting level, it’s an absence that will weigh heavily on the squad,
"But to ensure that the preparations for the competition are serene, Didier could not have done anything else.
“We’ll be without out our most talented centre-forward. Of the French players, he’s also the most experienced at the highest level and has just had his best season with his club. When that’s with Real Madrid, that’s something that can’t be ignored.”