Setback for France before kick-off

“I have some slightly worrying news,” he said. “I’ve just been told the results of the X-ray and Zinedine Zidane will be absent for two matches.

“For the moment, that’s the result of the X-ray. If you want to be world champions, you have to be prepared to play from time to time without one of your stars.”

The world’s most expensive player was taken off before halftime after suffering a thigh injury during Sunday’s friendly against South Korea. Zidane applied an ice pack to his left thigh as he sat on the bench after indicating to Lemerre that he wanted to leave the field in the 38th minute.

The inspirational midfielder had a scan of his thigh in Seoul on Monday and was declared unfit for France’s first two games.

The world champions are to play Senegal in the opening match in Seoul on Friday before taking on Uruguay in Busan on June 6.

“France are obviously stronger with Zidane. He is an outstanding player and his presence lifts the level of the whole team. Without Zidane, France can’t play the same way,” French coach Roger Lemerre had said in a press conference earlier on Monday.

“The squad is strong and experienced enough to provide the answers required by this situation,” he had said. “We proved yesterday (Sunday) we were able to fight back. We didn’t give up on anything.”

Lemerre had also hinted Youri Djorkaeff might be a reliable replacement for Zidane.

“It’s an option. Youri has proved he is physically and mentally strong at the moment. He still needs some more games but he could be a replacement.”

Neither Lemerre, Zidane nor the French team spokesman were immediately available for comment on Monday.

But Zidane hopes to play against Uruguay

French midfielder Zinedine Zidane dismissed an injury that has put him temporarily out of the World Cup as a “very minor thing”, and said he hoped to play in France’s second match against Uruguay.

French soccer federation chairman Claude Simonet was quoted by French radio on Monday that the star playmaker was almost certain to miss France’s first two games against Senegal and Uruguay.

But the world’s most expensive player told French newspaper Le Parisien he was not overly concerned by the injury to a Left thigh muscle sustained in a friendly match on Sunday.

When asked in an interview published on the newspaper’s website if he was worried about whether he would participate in the tournament in South Korea and Japan, he said: “No. Not really.

“All I know is that there is something there. But it’s only a very minor thing. The x-rays showed a small lesion.

SENDAI (Japan): Italy striker Filippo Inzaghi is set to miss his side’s opening group match against Ecuador on June 3 with a knee injury, a team official said on Monday. “Our objective is for him to be ready for the second game. It will be difficult for him to be ready for the first game,” Italian team doctor Andrea Ferretti told reporters. Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni also said he was only expecting the AC Milan forward to be in contention for their second Group G match against Croatia on June 8. Inzaghi had tests on his injured left knee at the local hospital after the team returned to base in Sendai on Sunday.