France
head coach Didier Deschamps has told Olivier Giroud he must "find another
situation" before the next international break amid his continued struggles
to break into the Chelsea side.
Giroud has scored 42 goals in 102 games for France, making him his country's
second-highest scorer of all-time, behind Thierry Henry.
The 34-year-old continues to be a regular in Deschamps' squad and is set to
feature in France's Nations League fixture at home to Sweden on Tuesday.
However, he has been less involved for Chelsea this season, starting just
one game for the Blues in all competitions, and Deschamps has urged Giroud
to address his lack of game time.
"Olivier Giroud knows it - the situation he's in today cannot drag on
forever. Before March he will have to find another situation than this one,"
Deschamps - a former Chelsea midfielder - told French radio station RTL.
"I never give advice, I give an opinion. At the end of the day, it's the
player's decision. He has had situations that have sometimes been
complicated to deal with.
"Today, it is not good for him. Will it stay the same or will it improve?
It's up to him. He knows what I think, even if I don't forget everything he
has done and everything he would still be able to do."
Giroud was in a similar situation in January and nearly left Chelsea then,
with Tottenham, Inter Milan and Lazio all interested in signing the striker.
He played just seven times for the club in the first half of the season but
earned a contract extension for the 2020/21 campaign by scoring seven goals
in 12 games following the restart.
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