Injury Worries and Rising Tension

Over the following three days, Coach Renard remained in the thick of the action, molding his players for the upcoming crucial semi-final clash against England. The pressure was sky-high as the Ivorian players pushed themselves on the training ground, acutely aware that their next match would determine the fate of their World Cup dreams. 

However, the team faced an additional hurdle with three injured crucial players.

Franck Kessié, the dynamic midfielder, was nursing a knock and would not recover and be fully fit for the semi-final. Wilfred Kanon and Gervinho, the team captain and inspirational leader, were also out due to muscle complications. 

Their absence was a blow for the Ivorian team, which didn't have a great depth of talented and experienced players in the squad. But Coach Renard didn't waste time dwelling on misfortune and had already devised a plan to compensate for his missing starting players.