Domenech tells his stars to forget egos

(AFP)

French coach Raymond Domenech has called on his players to set their egos to one side and work for the greater good when the World Cup comes around this summer.

Domenech's troops made heavy weather of reaching the tournament in South Africa, relying on a controversial play-off win over the Republic of Ireland – and public opinion of the French set-up is low.

France's early exit from Euro 2008 casts a shadow over the Domenech regime, and the coach says his players must learn or risk finding themselves frozen out of his plans. "They must forget their ego and realise that the only thing that matters is the team, not them," he said. "If they don't understand that, I will need a gun."

Domenech will unveil his 23-man squad for the finals on May 11, with his selection due to be rubber-stamped by Fifa on June 1. And he admitted he was still some way from knowing his final selection, saying: "It is useless. Today, if I make a list, in one month it will not be the same. It could... be worse. Qualifying was not easy and naming a squad will be difficult as well. When you have so many players that are injured or don't play in such a time, this is not reassuring. The players are the motor and it's them who will advance the machine. It's for that reason that selection is vital."

Domenech again refused to be drawn on whether he would select out-of-favour Barcelona striker Thierry Henry in his final squad, saying: "We'll think about that in due time. We'll look at every aspect and we'll make a decision but we still have one month left. I've always trusted great players and Titi is a great player."