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, with 24 players against the usual 23, "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 (N.2) and Alphonse Areola (N.3) behind captain Hugo Lloris.
The France team, crowned in the League of Nations in October, puts its title at stake with four first 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.
© 2022 AFP