Zinedine Zidane included a quintet that had never played before, such as Guillaume Restes, Andy Diouf, Jeremy Jacquet, Lucas da Cunha and Esteban Lipole, in the first French squad.
Zidane, who took over after Didier Deschamps retired after the World Cup, selected 20 players and three goalkeepers for the squad. Four UEFA Nations League matches between September 25 and October 5.
Jacquet has been rewarded for a promising start to his Liverpool career, while da Cunha has been a prominent member of Como’s side that has moved from Serie B to the Champions League over the past four years.
Zidane said: “It is a first selection, a first pool, the ideas were quite clear. You may have one or two players absent due to lack of playing time or due to a minor injury, but there has been a lot of work since my appointment on July 28.”
“This break is good as we will spend 15 days together, and there are four games left. We will play every three days, so everyone will participate. My way of seeing football? You will see it. I am excited for the matches. I want to see this team play. We have the players.”
Zidane also confirmed that Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe will retain the captaincy, but there is no place for veteran midfielder N’Golo Kante, who participated in the World Cup but did not play a single minute.
The former Real Madrid coach added: “It is an option, but I think there are players to develop this team.” “It has nothing to do with his (Kante) qualities. He is an exceptional player in the French national team. I congratulate him on what he did.”
France matches
Türkiye vs. France (September 25 in Izmit)
Belgium vs. France (September 28 in Brussels)
Vance vs. Italy (October 2 in Paris)
France vs. Belgium (October 5 in Paris)
France national team
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (Milan), Guillaume Restis (Toulouse), Robin Risser (Lens).
In defense: Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool), Pierre Kalolo (Juventus), Ibrahima Konate (Real Madrid), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea), Adrien Truvert (Bournemouth), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).
Midfield: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Lucas da Cunha (Como), Manu Kone (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (Milan), Warren Zaire Emery (Paris Saint-Germain).
Attack: Bradley Barkola (Liverpool), Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), Desiree Doue (Paris Saint-Germain), Esteban Lipole (Rennes), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich).
