France recalls Sakho, Zouma and Digne as Ndombele gets first call-up

Tanguy Ndombele could make his first appearance for France after being picked in the squad for games against Iceland and Germany.

Published : Oct 04, 2018 23:07 IST

Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho gets the national call for games against Iceland and Germany.
Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho gets the national call for games against Iceland and Germany.
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Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho gets the national call for games against Iceland and Germany.

France coach Didier Deschamps has recalled Mamadou Sakho, Kurt Zouma and Lucas Digne to the national squad, while there is also a place for the uncapped Tanguy Ndombele.

Crystal Palace defender Sakho could make his first appearance for Les Bleus since March 2016, while Zouma earned the last of his two caps in November 2015.

However, the duo are back involved with the World Cup winner ahead of the friendly against Iceland and the Nations League clash with Germany this month, replacing injured duo Samuel Umtiti and Adil Rami.

READ: Deschamps not worried about Pogba amid Mourinho speculation

Digne comes in at left-back with Benjamin Mendy ruled out, while the absence of Corentin Tolisso has resulted in 21-year-old Lyon midfielder Ndombele receiving his first call-up.

"Tanguy is a player at a very good level, he knows how to do everything in midfielder. He has played regularly for a long time," said Deschamps.

"It's nice to have experienced players [like Sakho]. He has been with us before. It was important to see him again. Youth is not a handicap but it's good to have a balance between youth and experience."

Adrien Rabiot continues to be excluded after refusing a place on the stand-by list for the World Cup, and Deschamps feels it is too soon for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder to return despite a strong start to the season.

"It's way too early to recall Adrien Rabiot after the attitude he had towards the France shirt," said Deschamps. "It doesn't make sense to recall him, it's still way too early.

"With respect to the team and what the shirt represents, this is not the time."

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