Laporte included in France squad for Euro 2020 qualifiers

Paris (AFP) – France coach Didier Deschamps has included Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte in his squad announced on Thursday for next month’s Euro 2020 qualifying double header against Albania and Andorra.

Laporte, 25, was last called up to a squad in March 2017 but has never been capped by France at full international level.

This time he has been preferred to Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti, meaning there is a total of 10 players in the squad who did not take part in France’s triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign.

There is also a first call-up for the 21-year-old Lille forward Jonathan Ikone, who is included with Kylian Mbappe absent due to a hamstring injury.

Other notable injury absentees include Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial.

France are top of Euro 2020 qualifying Group H with nine points from four games, although they are ahead of both Turkey and Iceland only on goal difference.

They won 4-0 away to minnows Andorra in their last qualifier in June.

The World Cup holders welcome Albania to the Stade de France on September 7 and then entertain Andorra at the same venue three days later.

France squad:

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Mike Maignan (Lille)

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton/ENG), Leo Dubois (Lyon), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona/ESP), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich/GER), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City/ENG), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich/GER), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/ESP), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea/ENG)

Midfielders: Blaise Matuidi (Juventus/ITA), Steven Nzonzi (Galatasaray/TUR), Paul Pogba (Manchester United/ENG), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham/ENG), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich/GER)

Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich/GER), Nabil Fekir (Real Betis/ESP), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea/ENG), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona/ESP), Jonathan Ikone (Lille), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid/ESP)

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