France in shock after Cisse leg-break

ST ETIENNE, France, June 8 (Reuters) Just when David Trezeguet opened the scoring in France's final World Cup warm-up game, Djibril Cisse was passing behind the goal on a stretcher.

The image, 31 minutes into yesterday's match against China that France eventually won 3-1, showed that the French World Cup challenge is still very much alive and kicking.

The mood in the France team, however, was clearly depressed after the news that Cisse had fractured his right leg and would miss the finals in Germany.

''Everybody was in a state of shock in the locker room,'' said France coach Raymond Domenech. ''I even saw a few who were close to tears.'' Like in 2002, when Zinedine Zidane sustained a thigh injury in a friendly five days from the finals, France suffered a vicious blow just before leaving for a World Cup.

Cisse, of course, does not have as much influence on the team as Zidane but his misfortune was nevertheless painful for everybody.

Domenech now has until Monday, one day before France open their World Cup campaign playing Switzerland in Stuttgart, to name a replacement.

ANELKA FAVOURITE Nicolas Anelka is the favourite with Ludovic Giuly and Sidney Govou also hoping to be called up.

France, whose other opponents in Group G will be South Korea and Togo, were to leave St Etienne on Thursday for their base in northern Germany, a castle turned into a luxury hotel where they hope to stay a long time.

In 2002, France, who were the defending champions, were sent packing after failing to win a match and even to score a goal in the group stage.

Their campaign kicked off in disastrous style when they crashed 1-0 to Senegal in the competition's opening match.

The players are confident such a fiasco will not be repeated, if only because the atmosphere in the team is so much better than four years ago, when internal squabbling marred the team's run.

There were some positive aspects in yesterday's game, notably that Zinedine Zidane, who will retire after the World Cup, looked much more convincing than in below-par performances in France's previous two friendlies.

Another ray of hope on a sad night came from gifted midfielder Franck Ribery, who sparkled again after coming on as a late substitute, to the extent that Domenech might be tempted to include him in his starting line-up against Switzerland.

France started their preparations with a laboured 1-0 win over Mexico but then stepped up a gear to beat Denmark 2-0 convincingly before finding the resources to score three goals against China despite traumatic circumstances.

''We created a lot of chances and it's nice to score three goals,'' said Domenech.

''If we keep improving like that, we'll win 10-0 in the final.'' Reuters AY DS1422