EURO 2012: Breaking Down France's 23-Man Roster and Naming a Starting XI

Just a few days removed from their 3-2 victory over Iceland and about a week and a half from the opening ceremonies in Poland and Ukraine, France coach Laurent Blanc today unveiled his final 23-man roster for EURO 2012.

Across the board, much of the selection was as expected.

However, there were also a few surprises thrown in there in the form of omissions.

With the tournament right around the corner, here is a complete breakdown of France's 23-man roster and a prediction for their starting XI come June.

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Omissions

As far as omissions go, only two stand out as notable.

Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon's resident attacking and creative midfielder, began his career at France in the role of play-maker, the heir apparent to the departed Zinedine Zidane.  However, he has for the most part disappointed on the international stage.

Gourcuff's performance in France's first match of the 2010 World Cup led him to be left off the squad for the second.  In this year's Ligue 1 season, his form was wildly inconsistent as Lyon failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

The final straw was the friendly against Iceland where Gourcuff started and failed to impress in his 75 minutes on the pitch.

Now, Blanc has sent Gourcuff home before the competition has even begun.

Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has yet to earn a cap for France's full side.

However, the 23-year-old's performance this season made him a distinct possibility for the French squad.  Some had even pondered a place in the starting XI for Yanga-Mbiwa as recently as two weeks ago.

After not playing or even being on the bench in France's match with Iceland, it became clear that there was no place for Yanga-Mbiwa in the squad.

Blanc obviously concurred.

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Goalkeepers

In terms of goalkeepers, France is pretty well set.

Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris leads the group and is sure to captain the side.

Backing him up, Marseille keeper and captain, Steve Mandanda helped his side to a very impressive Champions League run this season.

Finally, Bordeaux keeper Cedric Carrasso rounds out the group.

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Defenders

France boasts a formidable defense with lots of good options for possible permutations of their back four.

Manchester United captain Patrice Evra leads the group, with Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny, Milan's Philippe Mexes, Lille's Mathieu Debuchy, Manchester City's Gael Clichy, Valencia's Adil Rami and Lyon's Anthony Reveillere behind him.

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Midfielders

The French midfield is quick and very versatile.

There are many ways they could line up and formations they could run depending on who gets the start.

Manchester City's Samir Nasri is the real culprit in this, as he can play almost anywhere on the field.

Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye, Chelsea's Florent Malouda, Marseille's Alou Diarra, Stade Rennes's Yann M'Vila, Sochaux's Marvin Martin and PSG's Blaise Matuidi round out the unit.

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Forwards

Up front, France is stacked with strikers and wingers alike.

Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa, Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena, and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery provide great width on the wings, while Real Madrid's Karim Benzema provides a big target in the front.

Montpellier's Olivier Giroud and PSG's Jeremy Menez finish off the group.

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GK: Hugo Lloris (C)

Lloris is the clear starter in goal.

At just 25 years of age, he already has 31 caps for France.

Further, he had a stellar club season at Lyon, keeping five clean sheets.

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RB: Mathieu Debuchy

In case there was any doubt of Debuchy's place in the starting lineup, he erased it with his goal early in the second half against Iceland.

The fullback had a great season with Lille this past year and is sure to follow teammate Eden Hazard out the door.

A good summer is sure to get him an even better deal than he might already.

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CB: Laurent Koscielny

The Arsenal man proved himself very worthy in the Premier League this past season, scoring three goals in 42 appearances and playing hard defense.

Koscielny should be the anchor at the back.

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CB: Philippe Mexes

It's a tough call between Mexes and Rami, but I give the nod to Mexes.

The AC Milan man may not have gotten great amounts of playing time this season, but his experience is invaluable.

Let's see if playing behind Thiago Silva will cause rust or improve Mexes.

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LB: Patrice Evra

This one is clear.

Evra is one of the best left-backs in the world and would surely be captaining the side if not for that whole 2010 thing.

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CDM: Yann M'Vila

The 21-year-old M'Vila is set for a big summer.

First, he is in good position to have a big EURO 2012 with France.

Then, he will probably have a long and wealthy transfer saga from Rennes.

Get used to his name and that apostrophe.

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CDM: Yohan Cabaye

The 26-year-old Cabaye had an incredible first season in England, helping Newcastle make an astonishing run to fifth.

Now, Cabaye will surely have a place in the French starting XI, providing the squad with his creativity and play-making.

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RW: Mathieu Valbuena

The diminutive Valbuena had a beautiful Champions League campaign with Marseille this past season, typified by his last gasp winner at Borussia Dortmund to send his side through their group.

It's a tough decision for Blanc for who to start in terms of Valbuena or Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa, but I see Valbuena getting the nod.

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CAM: Samir Nasri

Nasri is sure to be in the starting XI and will probably be near the front of the line.

France will hope that the Manchester City man will use his great control and creativity to be the play-maker for the side.

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LW: Franck Ribery

Ribery is another shoo-in for France.

His play in the Champions League final was one of the few bright spots for Bayern Munich's horrific night.

Ribery's pace and ability make him a hard task for defenders.

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ST: Karim Benzema

Benzema was one main cog to Real Madrid's historically potent attack this past season.

However, the big striker has big competition, as Olivier Giroud is gunning for his place in the side.

As of the first match, Benzema should be starting.

From there, who knows what might happen.

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