France have one of the strongest squads of all 16 teams competing in Austria and Switzerland.

However, they were not impressive in qualifying as they narrowly edged out Scotland to finish in the top two of their group, despite losing twice to Alex McLeish's side.

A number of Les Bleus' players will be playing in their last international tournament with Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele among those who are set to depart the international stage.

France reached the final of the 2006 World Cup and they could once again go close to glory this summer.

Manager - Raymond Domenech

Domenech took over as manager of France after Les Bleus' disappointing performance at Euro 2004, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Greece.

Since becoming coach Domenech has been a controversial figure within France. He led his side to the 2006 World Cup final, although they did lose that match to Italy on a penalty shoot-out. However it is his management style that has caused opinions to be split.

Domenech has fallen out with many players during his reign and his decision to leave David Trezeguet out of France's squad for this summer's tournament has been met by plenty of scepticism back home.

He also had a high profile falling-out with the then-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho after he insisted Claude Makelele should carry on playing for France, despite the midfielder announcing his retirement from international football in 2006.

If Domenech is to win a trophy during his spell as Les Bleus' boss this could well be his best chance. He has a top quality squad at his disposal laced with experience and youthful exuberance. There can be no excuses of France fail to fire this summer.

Star Man - Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry may have had, by his own high standards, a quiet season in his first campaign with Barcelona in the Primera Liga, but he is still one of the most feared strikers in Europe.

The former Arsenal forward is France's all-time record scorer after breaking Michel Platini's total of 41 goals with a double against Lithuania in October 2007.

Henry's career began at Monaco before he moved to Italy for an ill-fated spell with Juventus. The striker made only 16 appearances for the Serie A giants before starting his memorable time with Arsenal.

At the Gunners, Henry quickly became a firm fans favourite as his sparkling attacking play lit up Highbury and briefly the Emirates Stadium. He became the club's record goalscorer and he ended his stay in England with 174 goals for Arsene Wenger's side.

Henry has won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France and he was Les Bleus' leading scorer in their qualification campaign for this tournament. As his record shows he is a striker to be feared and he could make a huge impact in Austria and Switzerland.

British interest

The French squad is crammed full of familiar names from the Premier League.

Arsenal skipper William Gallas, Portsmouth's midfield lynchpin Lassana Diarra, Manchester United's buccaneering full-back Patrice Evra and Chelsea trio Claude Makelele, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka have all played in England this season.

And there are three familiar faces from the Premier League's past to keep an eye on as well with Arsenal legends Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry set to feature prominently. Although Jean-Alain Boumsong, who had a calamitous spell with Newcastle, will probably just be warming the bench.

Many of the other names in Les Bleus squad have been linked with a move across the channel. Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet has been touted as a summer target for Spurs and his team-mate Karim Benzema has attracted admiring glances from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, it is Arsenal who will be watching the action in Austria and Switzerland with the most interest, as they are reportedly keen on a swoop for young gun Samir Nasri.

Why they'll win

On paper, France have one of the strongest squads in the tournament and the attacking talent at their disposal will have many managers quaking in their boots. Les Bleus are set to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and they will be able to use this system to create width and pace in attack. With Franck Ribery, who has enjoyed a great season with Bayern Munich, set to roam on the right, France undoubtedly have one of the premier players in the tournament. And by having the likes of Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri on the bench, this is one side that will cause tiring defences nightmares.

Why they won't win

France's main weakness would appear to be in the goalkeeping position, where first-choice stopper Gregory Coupet has produced some iffy recent displays for Lyon after a long injury lay-off. And in the centre of defence many pundits have questioned William Gallas' recent form for Arsenal and Lilian Thuram's advancing years, at times, appear to be catching up with him. With such big question marks over the spine of their back-line, France's opponents in the group stage, Italy, Holland and Romania, could find an easier root to goal than they imagined.

In any other group France's faults wouldn't be so noticeable. However, in the so-called group of death, quality forwards like Luca Toni, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Adrian Mutu may put pressure on what could be a fragile defence.