Didier Deschamps wants France to relax for playoff

Didier Deschamps has told his France team that they need to relax and fully recover ahead of their make-or-break World Cup qualifying playoff with Ukraine over the coming week.

Les Bleus, having finished second in Group I, will face the Ukrainians in a two-legged tie with the winner advancing to next summer's finals in Brazil, and Deschamps wants his players to be in the right frame of mind for these crucial fixtures.

"It's just so that we can find a tranquil place from which to start our work," Deschamps told the press. "I want the lads to be relaxed.

"The adrenaline will be there soon enough, and we need to turn it into a positive. When you take on a challenge like this, looking to pull off a crucial result, there is no room for doubt uncertainty or introspection. The only thing that counts is how you perform out on the pitch."

The first leg takes place in Kiev on Friday, before the return match in Paris on Tuesday.