Two great absentees and a new kid. For the four Nations League games in June, France coach Didier Deschamps has decided to do without Olivier Giroud, who was not selected, and Paul Pogba “recovery phase” and whose absence benefits Boubacar Kamara, called for the first time. Courted according to the press by Senegal, his father’s country, the defensive midfielder of Marseille (22), passed by all the French selections among young people, is summoned for the first time by the coach of the Blues, six months from the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The OM player numerically replaces Pogba, injured in a calf a month ago and deprived of competition since, in a stable midfield alongside N’Golo Kanté, Adrien Rabiot, Mattéo Guendouzi and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
In a slightly expanded list, to 24 players against 23 usually, “Bouba” was preferred in particular to Eduardo Camavinga (19), author of a promising first season at Real Madrid. The former Rennais will have to wait before finding the France team, like FC Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, who has not been seen in the tricolor jersey since his injury at the euro last summer.
Karim Benzema is back with the France group two months after being forced into a package. Giroud, called in as reinforcements in March, bears the brunt of this return to a line of attack where Christopher Nkunku, a novice during the previous course, maintains. Defenders William Saliba and Jonathan Clauss, who also became internationals in March, are also on the list. Among the goalkeepers, Deschamps renewed his March trio with Mike Maignan (No. 2) and Alphonse Areola (No. 3) behind captain Hugo Lloris.
The France team, crowned in the League of Nations in October, put their title on the line with their first four group matches from June 3 to 13 against Austria, Denmark and Croatia, twice. It is the penultimate gathering before the World Cup in Qatar, which is scheduled to kick off in November.
