Didier Deschamps: Reduced role at Arsenal has hurt Giroud's confidence

Olivier Giroud's place on the French national team could be in jeopardy in the future if he fails to regain Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's trust.

French manager Didier Deschamps acknowledged that the forward's confidence has taken a hit following his exclusion from the starting lineup, as Arsenal prefers to deploy Theo Walcott in attack.

"Olivier is in a tough position - it's a difficult period for him," Deschamps told reporters Monday.

"He was sent off in the Champions League with Arsenal and couldn't play in their last match in the competition. He's not playing as much as before. Inevitably, his confidence has diminished."

Deschamps, however, believes that a run of matches will do wonders for Giroud, and return him to the form that saw him score 14 league goals with Arsenal last season.

"He was an important player and he can't lose that from one day to the next," he said. "The fact that he's here is also a way of telling him that I have confidence in him."