On the eve of the match against Azerbaijan, Didier Deschamps confirmed during his press conference that there will be many changes in the French national team’s starting lineup. The manager notably mentioned Lucas Chevalier (24), the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, who will earn his first cap.
Deschamps: “I’m going to make a lot of changes.”
“Can you give us some information about the lineup for this match against Azerbaijan?
I’m going to make a lot of changes because I think this is the right moment to do so. We played three days ago (4–0 against Ukraine), we had a very long trip, and there are players I want to see. Lucas Chevalier will be involved, in particular. Also, I don’t share your view on his supposed struggles. All 22 players will take part in the final training session this Saturday evening. There are no major issues with any of them.”
With qualification for the 2026 World Cup already secured, the logic behind this international break has completely shifted — and Didier Deschamps intends to take full advantage of it. Free from the pressure of results, the manager is giving a real opportunity to players usually limited to the bench, allowing him to broaden his options and fine-tune his hierarchy.
In this context, Lucas Chevalier, 24, perfectly embodies this desire to give “backups” their chance. Having been called up for a year without ever playing, he can finally experience international football, far from the turbulence of Ligue 1. Deschamps wants to observe, test, and evaluate new profiles in a competitive yet controlled environment.
This match in Azerbaijan therefore serves as an intentional testing ground — a useful step in preparing the key decisions awaiting Les Bleus in 2026
