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Girondins Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff has been ruled out of France's World Cup qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Austria this month.

Gourcuff picked up a thigh injury in Bordeaux's 1-0 home win over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"(Assistant coach) Alain Boghossian was at the game yesterday and he talked to Yoann. He observed that he would not be fit for these two matches," France coach Raymond Domenech said.

Former captain Patrick Vieira, who has been plagued by injuries recently and has not played for France since last year, was also ruled out because of a lack of match fitness.

"I talked to him over the phone. We agreed that he must play more, he knows that," said Domenech, who picked four goalkeepers to make up for Hugo Lloris's suspension against the Faroe Islands on October 10.

The Lyon keeper was sent off in a 1-1 draw in Serbia last month.

Raymond Domenech has offered to help striker Karim Benzema after the player's 'unacceptable' admission that he had not felt like giving his best in last month's match against Serbia.

The Real Madrid player said last Sunday that he did not "really feel like playing, really feel like giving (my) best" when he came off the bench with five minutes left in the World Cup qualifier which ended in a 1-1 draw.

"I do not condemn anyone on a sentence," Domenech said after he named Benzema in his 24-man squad to face the Faroe Islands and Austria in their next World Cup qualifiers.

"It is not good to say (what he said). You can think this way a little bit but you cannot say it. It is unacceptable but I remain optimistic.

"I think he wants to do well. I want to offer a helping hand, even when someone is wrong and that is the case."

Benzema, who is enjoying a fine start in La Liga with Real Madrid after joining from Lyon during the close season, has been struggling to make an impact with France.

The 21-year-old has scored six goals from 25 caps and lies behind Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka in Domenech's pecking order.

France host Austria four days later in a bid to snatch at least a play-off spot for next year's World Cup finals.

Les Bleus lie second in European qualifying Group Seven, four points adrift of Serbia.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille), Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyon), Cedric Carasso (Girondins Bordeaux), Nicolas Douchez (Stade Rennes)

Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), William Gallas (Arsenal), Julien Escude (Sevilla), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Rod Fanni (Stade Rennes), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Alou Diarra (Girondins Bordeaux), Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Jeremy Toulalan (Olympique Lyon), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Moussa Sissoko (Toulouse)

Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyon)

Reuters