France hasn't had the smoothest of qualification campaigns to date, with their goalless draw with Georgia on Friday the latest mishap for Didier Deschamps' team. Currently sitting second in Group I, three points behind Spain and five ahead of Finland, they'll be looking to get back to winning ways away in Belarus on Tuesday.
Belarus vs. France, 2014 World Cup qualifying: Preview and TV schedule
France should bounce back from a draw with Georgia by taking three points from Belarus, though automatic qualification looks unlikely for Les Bleus.
Their buffer over Finland should be enough to guarantee Les Bleus at least a playoff spot, though they now need an unlikely slip-up from Spain if they are to qualify automatically. France will draw level on points with the table toppers if they beat Belarus -- who are currently bottom of the group -- though Spain will still have a game in hand to come.
Deschamps will have to do without the injured Étienne Capoue and Clement Grenier, with Maxime Gonalons called up to replace the former and the latter withdrawing last week with a hamstring problem sustained in Lyon's Champions League match against Real Sociedad. They should still have enough in the tank to pick up a win, but they'll need to hope strikers Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema find their shooting boots.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. local, 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Central Stadium, Gomel, Belarus
TV: TV1 (France)
Online: ESPN3 (U.S.)
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