France manager Didier Deschamps has picked his latest squad for next month’s Nations League fixtures – and it’s a timely reminder of their strength in depth coming into the World Cup in Qatar. The defending champions will be one of the favourites following last year’s Nations League victory against Spain in October.
And with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema in the form of their life, Les Bleus certainly have a good chance of lifting the trophy once again. So how will they line-up? Earlier this week, Deschamps made some controversial decisions when he unveiled his squad for their upcoming Nations League fixtures against Denmark, Croatia and Austria.
That being said, there’s still some serious strength in depth in that team, despite several big names missing out. Here is the squad in full, as well as some of those who missed out:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (Milan), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Alphonse Areola (West Ham)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Théo Hernandez (Milan), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Jules Koundé (Sevilla), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Raphaël Varane (Manchester United), Jonathan Clauss (Lens), William Saliba (Marseille).
Midfielder: N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea), Mattéo Guendouzi (Marseille), Boubacar Kamara (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Monaco)
Attackers: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Christopher Nkunku (Leipzig), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich).
Possible selections for World Cup that didn’t make latest squad: Dayot Upamecano [Bayern Munich], Ferland Mendy [Real Madrid], Eduardo Camavinga [PSG], Paul Pogba [Manchester United], Ousmane Dembele [Barcelona], Olivier Giroud [AC Milan] and Clement Lenglet [Barcelona].
To the surprise of many, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was also left out of Les Bleus’ latest squad. The 22-year-old defender has been a rock at the back for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season and has yet to lose a game in 27 appearances for the Reds. But it appears playing in a back four for the Champions League finalists has hampered his chances.