France coach to experiment in warm-up against Mexico

CLAIREFONTAINE, France, May 26: France coach Raymond Domenech will experiment in tomorrow's World Cup warm-up game against Mexico with the unusual pairing of Lilian Thuram and William Gallas in central defence.

Chelsea's Gallas, often used at left-back by Domenech, will play in the position he prefers alongside Thuram of Juventus for the match at the Stade de France.

Domenech also went for a surprise up front by picking David Trezeguet and Djibril Cisse with Thierry Henry starting on the bench.

Zinedine Zidane, as expected, will win his 100th cap in his farewell to the arena where he scored two headed goals in France's 3-0 defeat of Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final.

The gifted midfielder will retire after the World Cup, during which he will turn 34.

France - 16-Fabien Barthez (Olympique Marseille); 19-Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), 15-Lilian Thuram (Juventus), 5-William Gallas (Chelsea), 3-Eric Abidal (Olympique Lyon); 6-Claude Makelele (Chelsea), 4-Patrick Vieira (Juventus), 7-Florent Malouda (Olympique Lyon), 10-Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid); 20-David Trezeguet (Juventus), 9-Djibril Cisse (Liverpool).

REUTERS