The medical staff of the Bleues had just treated Charlotte Bilbault in the center of the field and were about to leave the lawn when they had to turn around. Marie-Antoinette Katoto had just sat down, overcome by pain in her right knee. The PSG striker hurt herself a few seconds earlier, alone, on a race she had stopped, jumping and immediately holding her knee, where she had taken a blow during training. the day before, by Ève Perisset.
Unable to continue, she returned to the bench, clapped Corinne Deacon’s hand, before dropping to the ground. A little later, she needed two partners to return to the locker room. And it was on crutches that she returned to watch the second half, an ice pack on her knee. And morale at half mast for the one who was playing her first international competition with the France A team.
If on July 14, the Blues fired the fireworks hoped for by their coach, the day before, by achieving the perfect hat-trick – victory, qualification for the quarterfinals, first place in the group assured – they risk having to do without the best player of the season for the next deadlines.
Effective Diani, Fox much less
“For the moment it is a sprain”, indicated in a press conference Corinne Deacon who does not yet have any information on the duration of the unavailability of her player: “I am not a doctor”. It is difficult to see, however, how the Parisian could claim for the quarter-final, July 23, still at New York Stadium in Rotherham. And if his absence against Iceland on Monday evening, in a match where the Blues should largely turn, is not a concern, that against the second in the group of Sweden and the Netherlands will be more annoying.
In the event of Katoto forfeiting for the future, the French team will still be able to count on its other arrows. Thus, Kadidiatou Diani, who had not scored in the first meeting against Italy (5-1), finally proved effective by placing a beautiful header (6th). The Belgian equalizer revived the match but an angry header from Griedge Mbock brought smiles back to the French supporters (2-1, 41st). Another central defender, Wendie Renard could also have scored with a header, but also on a penalty repelled by the goalkeeper and then taken to the side (90th). As for Cascarino and Geyoro, they were discreet but Deacon knows he can count on them. On the other hand, Katoto’s replacement, Ouleymata Sarr, the Paris FC striker, will have to take advantage of the meeting against Iceland to gain confidence.
In the meantime, the Blues now have sixteen consecutive successes and are approaching their longest series of consecutive victories: seventeen between August 2011 and July 2012. It will be, perhaps, for Monday, but without Katoto.