FIFA World Cup 2018

'POGBA ONLY CARES ABOUT HIS HAIR'

Denmark coach Age Hareide gave a withering assessment of his World Cup first-round rivals France on Thursday claiming they have no real leader and have little chance in Russia.

"I don't believe in this team," Hareide told Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, a month ahead of their June 26 game in Russia.

"They are nothing special," he said.

"They don't have a leader such as Zinedine Zidane to lead them, someone who knew how to galvanise them," said the Norwegian who has been Denmark coach for three years.

"They need to play as a team."

The 64-year-old singled out Manchester United's Paul Pogba for criticism -- over his flashy haircuts.

"He played against Manchester City with his hair dyed blue and white, maybe he'll have it red and white to play us."

"Good grief, does he only think about his haircuts?" asked the coach.

Hareide said he hoped to lead Denmark on a fine campaign.

"I couldn't stand just being happy to be at the World Cup," he said.

Denmark beat Ireland 5-1 in a play-off to qualify for the finals where they have been drawn in Group C with Peru, Australia and the French.

SUPERSUB PETERSEN READY TO SPRING SURPRISE

German forward Nils Petersen has built a reputation as a supersub, holding the record for most Bundesliga goals off the bench, and he hopes he can score his way to the World Cup.

With 20 Bundesliga goals as a substitute, the 29-year-old holds the all-time league record but his unexpected nomination in Germany's preliminary World Cup squad comes on the back of a stellar season for the Freiburg captain.

"I think stats don't lie and I have always operated well as a joker but it was really good this season to distance myself a bit from that image," uncapped Petersen, a former youth international who also won silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, told reporters on Friday.

This season Petersen was anything but a substitute at Freiburg, scoring 15 goals in the league, almost half of the entire team, to help them stay up and prompt Germany coach Joachim Loew to call him up.

"Obviously my reputation did help a bit to bring me here and I am always ready to grab whatever I can get when I am brought on," he said, speaking at the team's training camp in northern Italy.

INJURED DEFENDER CONFIDENT OF PLAYING

Defender Kara Mbodji is confident he will be fit in time to play at the World Cup after his surprise selection to the Senegal squad.

Mbodji has not played since December after suffering a knee injury while playing for Belgian club Anderlecht but his importance to Senegal's hopes at the tournament in Russia was underlined by his inclusion in last week's 23-man squad.

"I want to thank the Senegalese people, my family and my club for getting me back into very good condition to be able to play," the Anderlecht defender told reporters at Senegal's training camp at Saly-Portudal.

"Five days ago, I played 90 minutes and everything went very well. I will continue to work hard and the Senegalese will see with their own eyes that I am fit and able to play."

Mbodji said five months on the sidelines had been filled with "difficult moments" but that he had "worked hard to be able to come back".

He could face a first test when Senegal play a warm-up friendly against Luxembourg on May 31.