French striker Thierry Henry has been ruled out of competitive play for up to a month with a groin injury. This will mean he could miss up to six vital English Premiership and Champions League matches for his club team Arsenal FC, and also for France's two final World Cup qualifying matches this October.

This will be a major blow for "Les Bleus", who still have two important qualifying matches to play, in order to ensure qualification for next summers World Cup finals in Germany.

France, who are currently in second place in Group 4 of the European Qualifying Zone with 16 points, and only behind Switzerland on goal difference, will be facing the Swiss away on the 8th of October away, with a home meeting against Cyprus four days later.

The crunch match for the French is the away tie against Switzerland. If Switzerland manage to defeat the French, they will consolidate their place at the top of Group 4, nicknamed 'The Group of Death', with a loss consigning the French to the likelihood of, at best, a play-off place in order to get to the finals.

The Swiss will also be facing the Republic of Ireland in their final match of the group. The result of this will no doubt be of huge importance to "Les Bleus", with the result being of full relevance for all of these sides.

Israel, who are currently in third place in the group with 15 points, are unlikely to progress any further in this tournament. Having already played 9 of the 10 games in the group, and with things being so tight around them, it is unlikely that even a win against the Faroe Island's at home will see them with enough points to attain a play-off place.

The Republic of Ireland, who are currently three point's behind France and Switzerland in Group 4 on 13 points, still have meetings away to Cyprus, and then a meeting with the Swiss. A win in both of those games should see the Irish secure a play-off place themselves.

With all three of these teams having two games left to play, the play-off place is still very much up for grabs for each of them, and if, somehow all of the results go their way, the Israeli's still have the outermost chance of a play-off place themselves.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | google | yahoo | technorati