Paris (AFP)

The present and the future of the French team together: the world champion Paul Pogba, absent since June 2019, and the prodigy Eduardo Camavinga, who discovered the selection at 17, were recalled by Didier Deschamps on Thursday for the October international matches.

The coach of the Blues has decided to summon 24 players instead of the usual 23, in view of a busy schedule like never before, with three games on the program in eight days, against Ukraine (October 7 in a friendly in Saint-Denis), then Portugal (October 11, Saint-Denis) and Croatia (October 14, Zagreb) in the League of Nations.

If the return of Pogba, indestructible midfielder of the world champion team in 2018, was hardly in doubt despite a sluggish start to the season by the Manchester United player, that of Camavinga, he seemed less certain in view of the competition and of the youth of Rennais, who in September became the youngest French international for more than 100 years thanks to the package of ... Pogba, tested positive for Covid-19.

But the opportunity was tempting and Deschamps seized it: he brought in the Camavinga nugget and the cador Pogba at the same time, the first having never hidden his admiration for the second, who had also left him his number 6. and his room at the Clairefontaine training center in his absence in September.

The carefree Rennais, who will celebrate his 18 years at the beginning of November, will have to find another bed at the Château, but this is not likely to disrupt his fantastic start to the season, between an unexpected first place in Ligue 1 with Rennes and a convincing first selection in Blue, against Croatia.

"He is able to do things that other people may not do well. He has it all," said the manager.

"From the moment I took him the first time, it seems logical to me that he is still with us."

- Aouar, this time it's the right one?

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For Pogba, it's a relief: undermined by injuries since his last selection in June 2019 in Andorra (4-0), the Mancunien was chomping at the bit and could not find the Blues.

His well-established association with N'Golo Kanté will finally be able to see the light of day again.

"Paul is very attached to the France team. He knows the place he has in this group. He had a very complicated last season, but the contact is still there," explained Deschamps.

Another world champion, Bayern midfielder Corentin Tolisso, is also back.

Still in midfield, Deschamps maintained his confidence in Adrien Rabiot, who returned in September after two years of absence.

The Juventus player may have completely missed his last outing with Turin in the league last weekend (a penalty conceded, a red card), he seems to have convinced his coach in September that the controversy born of his refusal to be reservist at the last World Cup was behind him.

Deschamps also recalled the Lyonnais Houssem Aouar.

Sparkling with OL in the Champions League in August but in difficulty ever since against a backdrop of initial inclinations, the neophyte (22 years old) must cross his fingers to finally show off the selection jersey, after having had to give up at the last minute in September, because of contamination with Covid-19.

- Coman and Pavard come back -

On the return side, we were waiting for Kingsley Coman, and the Bavarian is not missing.

The winger crowned European champion with the Munich in August will accompany an attack without surprises, with Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud in particular, the latter aiming for a 100th selection in the next match.

In defense, the Leipzig player Dayot Upamecano returns to the national team, after his first two selections celebrated in September, just like the indisputable Benjamin Pavard, preserved at the start of the school year.

The Bavarian leaves Madrid's Ferland Mendy and Londoner Moussa Sissoko off the list.

They are now among the disappointed, like Thomas Lemar, Nabil Fekir, Florian Thauvin, Jonathan Ikoné, Benjamin Mendy and especially Blaise Matuidi, exiled in Miami in the North American championship and left aside for the second time in a row.

Eight months before the Euro, "Blaisou" moves away from the Blues.

© 2020 AFP