France received some good news this morning when it was confirmed Adil Rami's neck injury was not serious.
The Lille defender was stretchered from the pitch late on in yesterday's 0-0 friendly draw with Croatia when he fell awkwardly after attempting an overhead kick. However, tests after the match showed there was no fracture.
A statement on the French Football Federation website read: "Adil Rami suffered a bruised neck without complications. The additional tests conducted at the Pitie Salpetriere hospital after the friendly match against Croatia on Tuesday night showed nothing serious."
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was also withdrawn after suffering a slight knock, but that is not expected to be anything too troubling either. "He felt a little pinch in his thigh," said Les Bleus coach Laurent Blanc.
It was an enjoyable game, though there are things we can improve on.
Laurent Blanc, France coach
Perhaps of more concern was the performance of the team, coming four days after Blanc criticised his strikers for their profligacy in a 2-0 UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying win over Luxembourg.
Indeed, there were jeers from the Stade de France crowd as France missed opportunities to see off Croatia, Rami hitting the post and Benzema spurning a simple chance.
"I was unbalanced and it did not go well," said Benzema. "There were whistles but we're not going to worry about it. We will win back the fans by winning big games."
Blanc put a positive spin on things, praising his side's play. "It was an enjoyable game, though there are things we can improve on," he said. "I was quite pleased, though it was nothing to jump up and down about."
Ribery makes home return
The match was notable for Franck Ribery's first appearance for his country in France since their FIFA World Cup™ debacle. He and Patrice Evra, who both played in Luxembourg, were named on the bench last night and Ribery's appearance as a second-half substitute provoked both cheers and boos from sections of the home crowd.
Florent Malouda, who made way for Ribery, was unimpressed by the negativity. "It's unfortunate," he said. "We are trying make the Stade de France feel like home. We must support the team and Franck is part of the team. This is not what is expected of our supporters."
France's next competitive game in June sees them travel to Belarus, who sit four points behind them in second place in Group D.