Paris (AFP)
He had been deprived of the France team for two years: Adrien Rabiot is making his return to the Blues, from which an executive, Blaise Matuidi is leaving.
Coach Didier Deschamps surprised his world on Thursday by announcing the group that will face Sweden and Croatia in the League of Nations for the first gathering of the Blues in ten months.
He offered a first summons to three representatives of the new generation, Houssem Aouar, Dayot Upamecano and Eduardo Camavinga, who, at only 17 years old, replaced at the last minute Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, who tested positive for the new coronavirus.
It's the chef's surprise! The boss of the world champions has put on his list the name of Rabiot, more seen in the France team since his refusal to be a reservist before the World-2018.
The 25-year-old midfielder takes the place of his former teammate and competitor at Juventus Turin, Blaise Matuidi, who pays his exile to the uncompetitive North American Championship (MLS) at Inter Miami.
Rabiot "has returned to a very, very good level with his club. It happened what happened, we will not go back, neither me nor him," commented Didier Deschamps at a press conference.
- Matuidi "sufficiently lucid" -with his club Tottenham the
As for Matuidi, "he is lucid enough to know that it complicates the situation with regard to the France team, even if that does not mean that he will not come back any more," continued the coach.
The coach of the world champions, weaned from matches since November 2019, was faced with a puzzle for the first gathering of a year 2020 upset by the coronavirus pandemic.
With its scattered calendar of competitions, European football offered a delicate puzzle between a Ligue 1 which had just restarted and the other championships still at a standstill. And a Champions League that stretched until Sunday with the victory of Bayern against Paris SG of Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappé.
The trip to Sweden and the reception of Croatia on September 5 and 8 in the League of Nations will be done well with the two Parisians, but without the Bavarians Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso and Benjamin Pavard. Munich defender Lucas Hernandez, little used in C1, will however be present.
Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, who shone in a Champions League that ended with the defeat against Bayern on August 19 in the semi-final, takes advantage of the unprecedented context of this gathering to enter the French team.
The elegant 22-year-old dribbler will return to the Clairefontaine (Yvelines) training center on Monday, already visited with the Espoirs between 2017 and 2019, the year he failed in the semi-finals of the Euro in this category alongside Jonathan Ikoné or even Dayot Upamecano.
- Pogba affected by the Covid -
The last two cities are also summoned. The Lille striker already knows the Blues (4 caps), but not the central defender of Leipzig, called for the first time at 21 years old.
"He is a player who is very athletically, who goes fast and who is good in duels," Deschamps described him.
Another newcomer, Eduardo Camavinga takes advantage of the last-minute package from Paul Pogba, positive for Covid-19. If he did come into play, the Rennes player would be the first minor player to win a selection since World War II, according to data supplier Opta.
"He has a potential which will lead him to be an integral part of this team sooner or later," Deschamps commented on the young Rennes midfielder.
In the closed session of Sölna then the Stade de France, world champions Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) and Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) should experience their first minutes of play this season in competition.
Already in leg with Monaco, Wissam Ben Yedder is logically one of the attackers selected, along with Antoine Griezmann (FC Barcelona) but also Anthony Martial, the 24-year-old Manchester United striker, no longer seen in the selection since March 2018 .
Other Ligue 1 players, Marseille's Steve Mandanda and Lille's Mike Maignan are called upon to play the liners, or even more, behind Lloris, the usual holder of the post.
© 2020 AFP