The Chelsea striker is ready to join an elite band of players who have earned 100 caps for Les Bleus - and he thoroughly merits his place among them

International friendlies are not renowned for being unforgettable affairs but when France tackle Ukraine on Wednesday at Stade de France, it will be a night to remember for Olivier Giroud.

The Chelsea striker, who is one goal shy of matching Michel Platini’s tally of 41 for his country, will join an elite cast of seven of his compatriots to win 100 caps for Les Bleus.

With Paris on a heightened state of alert because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the visiting side chronically depleted due to a raft of coronavirus-related call-offs, only a handful will be present in the stadium to see Giroud's big moment – an unfitting setting for a player who has worked so relentlessly hard for the national team in a near-decade long international career.

  

 Liverpool remain “the team to beat in the Premier League” despite theirhumbling 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa, says Michael Owen.

The defending champions were put to the sword in spectacular styleduring their most recent outing.

Alarming defensive flaws were exposed by a buoyant Villa side, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish running riot.

  It is not the first time this season that Jurgen Klopp’s side have looked vulnerable in defence, with questions being asked of a system that favours a risky high line approach.

Tweaks may be made on the back of a remarkable reversal in the West Midlands that saw Liverpool swept aside by a team that only just scraped clear of the relegation zone in 2019-20.

Klopp has shown in the past that he is capable of fixing any supposed faults in his ranks, with his Reds side becoming a dominant force as a result.