Cisse could be the rabbit in Domenech's hat

It could be Djibril Cisse's year. With Thierry Henry struggling to make it on the bench at Barcelona, the Panathinaikos forward got a morale boost from France coach Raymond Domenech five weeks before the World Cup.

"Djibril shows that he has the will to go (to the World Cup). Somehow, it is more important than the number of goals he has scored," Domenech told a symposium in Eastern France at the weekend.

"I have known Djib for years and I know that he will always score goals," he said.

Cisse was the Greek league's top scorer with 23 goals to help Panathinaikos win the championship.

Instead of going on holiday following the April 11 title celebrations, the former Marseille and Liverpool striker has been staying in Athens to train in case France need him.

"I firmly believe in my chances to go the World Cup," Cisse, who has scored nine goals in 38 internationals, said last month.

After almost two years without being called up, Cisse earned his 38th cap as a late substitute in a 2-0 defeat against Spain two months ago.

Cisse, who was set to play in the 2006 World Cup when France reached the final, eventually missed the trip to Germany after breaking his leg in a warm-up game against China in St Etienne.

If he manages to stay out of trouble, the powerful striker could have the chance to make up for the 2006 mishap.

Henry has been struggling all season at Barca and did not even make it to the bench on Saturday when his side hammered Villarreal 4-1 in La Liga.

He was not called onto the pitch by coach Pep Guardiola last Wednesday when Barcelona were struggling to break the Inter Milan deadlock in their Champions League semi-final return leg.

With Domenech set to unveil his 23-man squad for the World Cup next Tuesday, Cisse clearly looks like he is the in-form man.

Nicolas Anelka scored only nine goals in the Premier League, his winner against Bolton Wanderers four games ago ending a nine-game goal drought.

At Real Madrid, Karim Benzema has been a pale shadow of last season's brilliant striker, finding the back of the net only seven times in La Liga.

Domenech promised there could be surprises in the 23-man squad in South Africa that will take on the host nation, Uruguay and Mexico in Group A. Cisse could well be one of them.