France coach Didier Deschamps paid tribute to his charges on Saturday after Les Bleus squeezed past Portugal to book a place in the UEFA Nations League finals.
The reigning World Cup holders came into the international break in far from perfect shape due to the struggles several key players have been facing in the club game.
Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane are among the France stars who have endured a muted start to the 2020-21 season, while Deschamps' plans were further interrupted by the withdrawal of Kylian Mbappe after the Paris Saint-Germain striker failed to recover from injury in time for Saturday's game.