Coach Laurent Blanc is hopeful midfielder Yann M'Vila will recover from a sprained ankle in time for France's opening match of the European Championship after he limped off in Thursday's friendly against Serbia.
The Rennes midfielder was hacked down from behind by Serbia forward Dusan Tadic just one minute into the game.
M'Vila, a key player who has been a near ever-present in Blanc's team over the past two years, got back up again and carried on playing for a few minutes.
But moments later, he made one pass with his left foot and fell down again, clutching his right leg. He was helped off the field by two of France's medical staff and replaced by Alou Diarra.
''He has a big sprain on his ankle, but it's not too worrying,'' Blanc said. ''We're hopeful he'll be ready for the first game (against England on June 11).''
The 21-year-old M'Vila has played 19 times for France in a deep-lying central midfield role, protecting the defense and using his crisp passing to move the ball out smoothly.
M'Vila admitted he feared he would miss Euro 2012.
''I cracked up. A lot of things went through my mind. When I was 13, I experienced the same thing and I was in plaster for two months,'' M'Vila said. ''I thought of that straight away, that the Euro was over for me.
''We will let things run their course, and hopefully I'll be ready. I'm able to put my foot down on the floor, but I still have to walk with crutches, just in case.''
