Despite leaving France's World Cup camp to attend the funeral of his mother, coach Didier Deschamps remains in close contact with his team.
"He's going through a difficult time right now. Nevertheless, we talk on the phone a lot. He's up to date on everything and that will remain the case until kick-off," assistant coach Guy Stéphan said.
Stéphan is standing in for Deschamps and will lead the team in the final group stage match against Norway on Friday, with both sides already qualified for the knock-out stage.
On matchday, however, communication with Deschamps will be more limited due to his mother's funeral.
Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni spoke of a "far from normal, but we have a mission here. Our mission is to make France and Didier proud."
A draw is enough for France to finish ahead of the Norwegians and win the group.
Deschamps is expected to return to the team on Saturday for the knock-out rounds. He had announced long before the tournament that he would step down.
France fans hope the World Cup in North America becomes the crowning achievement of Deschamps' 14 years in charge, with Zinédine Zidane expected to follow.
Deschamps led his side to glory in the 2018 World Cup and they were runners-up in 2022 as well as at Euro 2016. France also won the Nations League in 2021.
