SAINT-ETIENNE, France -- Lyon striker Sidney Govou will
replace injured Djibril Cisse on the World Cup team after Cisse
underwent leg surgery.
Govou was chosen Thursday by coach Raymond Domenech after the
coach visited Cisse in a hospital.
Cisse, injured in a friendly against China on Wednesday,
received a telephone call of sympathy from French President Jacques
Chirac early Thursday. Chirac was at the match.
"Everyone is devastated," Domenech said after the match.
In the 10th minute, Cisse was chasing the ball down the right
flank and was knocked off-balance by an opponent. As he fell, his
right leg twisted under him and buckled above the ankle.
Cisse was taken off the field on a stretcher.
"It's so tough to hear Djibril scream like that," France
striker Thierry Henry said. "You lose a teammate and also a
friend. But he is tough. He will come back."
Cisse was France's leading scorer in World Cup qualifying with
four goals. In October 2004, he had surgery for a double fracture
of his left leg in his first season at Liverpool.
"It's tough for the group because we have lost a good player,"
France defender Eric Abidal said. "He just came back from injury
and was back to his best. Tonight, he gets injured again. We want
to go all the way (in Germany), and we will go all the way for
Djibril."
France plays its first match Tuesday against Switzerland. Togo
and South Korea are also in Group G.